
"^^enijon'^ "Royalty Vlay.^ "^ 




HILARIOUS FARCE COMEDIES 

A. Busy Honeymoon 



aBusy 



iHiteriotfSi 



Farce-comedy in 3 acts, by Larby E. 
Johnson; 6 m., 6 w. Time, 2% hrs. 
Scene: 1 interior. Princess Alma of 
Deleria, on a visit to the United States, 
outwits her scheming royal mamma and 
elopes with a young crown prince, there- 
by starting a chain of thrilling events. 
Uproariously funny. Production fee, 
fifteen dollars. Price, 50 Cents 



7AeMseid-MindedBride&^om 

Farce in 3 acts, by Larry E. Johnson ; 
6 m., 6 w. Time, 2l^ hrs. Scene: I in- 
terior. Tim Shea, to escape impending 
marriage, pretends to lose his memory 
and assumes a false identity. The per- 
sistence of the bride and the appearance 
of a pseudo-wife and three children pile 
up trouble for him and laughs for the 
audience. Production fee, ten dollars. 

Price, 50 Cents 



TMtFuwwMTIlCTlHI 



Bridegroom 




7Ae Mummy ami the Mumps 

Farce in 3 acts, by Larry E. Johnson; 
5 m., 5 w. Time, 2V^ hrs. Scene: 1 in- 
terior. To evade quarantine for the 
mumps, Sir Hector Fish has himself ex- 
pressed to the ladies' seminary, in which 
he is to teach, inside the mummy case he 
is bringing from Egypt, only to find an- 
other Hector in the field. Hilarious 
complications arise. Production fee, fif- 
teen dollars. Price, 50 Cents 



T. S . O C isi I S or>4 ^ Coivt i=»>^ t>i^^ f^^Bh'shers 
«a3 Xow+H Wai>cist-i >cK%^o. C»-iic;>K€»o 



SONNY 



SONNY 



qA Comedy-^rama in Three oActs 



'By 

MAUDE FULTON 

cAuthor of 

"Enter Mary Jones** 




CHICAGO 
T. S. DENISON 8C COMPANY 

Publishers 



i?s. 



WARNING, IMPORTANT 




HIS Play is fully protected under the 
Copyright Laws of the United States of 
America, the British Empire, including 
the Dominion of Canada, and all other 
countries included in the Copyright 
Union. 

The purchase or possession of this book conveys 
no right whatever to give any performance of the 
Play either public or private, for gain or for 
charity. 

For AMATEUR presentation, whether admis- 
sion is charged or not, a production fee of ten 
($10.00) dollars for each performance must be 
paid in advance to the publishers, T. S. DENISON 
& COMPANY, 623 South Wabash Avenue, Chi- 
cago, Illinois, whose receipt for such fee serves as 
a license for each performance. The following 
notice must appear on all programs: "Produced 
by special arrangement with T. S. Denison & Com- 
pany of Chicago, Illinois." 

Violations of the Copyright Law are punishable 
by fine or imprisonment, or both, and anyone par- 
ticipating in an unauthorized performance is guilty 
of an infringement. All such violations will be 
vigorously prosecuted. 

For PROFESSIONAL terms application should 
be made to the publishers. 

COPYRIGHT, 1919, BY MAUDE FULTON 

COPYRIGHT, 1929, BY T. S. DENISON & COMPANY 

MADE IN U. S. A. ALL RIGHTS RESERV;ED 

Sonny ©Ci Dpub 8565 9 

TMP96-006416 H I9?9 



SONNY 

FOE FIVE MEN AND THREE WOMEN 



CHARACTERS 

(In the order of their first appearance) 

Francelia Housemaid at the Christy ranch 

PiNGREE Tucker An ex-marshal 

Bud Williams Foreman of Christy ranch 

Caroline Dodson Jacqueline's school teacher 

Robert McCord Interested in real estate 

Herrick Helm A writer 

Jacqueline Christy (Sonny) 

Mistress of the Christy ranch 

El Malo Leader of the outlaws 



Time — The present. 



Place — Southern Calif ornia^ near the Mexican 
border. 



Time of Playing — About two and a quarter hours. 



SYNOPSIS OF ACTS 

Act I. Living room of the Christy ranch, two 
miles from Calo Calico, California, on the Mexican 
border. It is late in the afternoon. 

Act II. Same as in Act I. Midnight of the same 
day. 

Act III. Office of the Grand Commercial Hotel 
in Calo Calico. Dawn of the next morning. 



SONNY 



COSTUMES AND CHARACTERISTICS 

Francelia — A young Mexican girl of eighteen or 
nineteen, slender and pretty. She has a languid air 
except when an emergency calls for quick action, 
when she is alert and fearless. In Act I, she wears 
a white lace dress with high headdress, a gayly col- 
ored mantilla, and red shoes and stockings. Red 
roses are pinned on her dress and in her hair. Later 
in act, she changes to a dark blouse and skirt suit- 
able for riding horseback, and a torn shawl, all 
showing signs of hard use. In Act III, she wears the 
same shabby costume, without the shawl. 

Tucker — A grizzled man of fifty with a quiet, 
quizzical air. Wears a worn business suit through- 
out the play. 

Bud — A well-built man of thirty-two, with a face 
bronzed from the exposure of outdoor living. He 
is good-natured and apparently easy-going, but with 
a character forceful enough to master quickly any 
situation that arises. His whimsical humor cloaks 
a shrewdness that makes him hard to outwit. 
Throughout the play, he wears a soft dark shirt 
open at the throat, corduroy trousers thrust into 
high boots, and a leather jacket which he takes off 
in the house. 

Caroline — A tall, plain-looking woman in her 
middle forties. She gives the impression of being 
thoroughly capable and resourceful, and is kindly 
in spite of her brusque manner. Throughout the 
play she wears a neat, rather severe dark dress with a 
coat and hat at her first entrances in Act I and 
Act III. 

McCoRD- — About twenty-eight years old. He is 



SONNY 



sleek and well-groomed, and years of good living 
have given his figure a decided chubbiness. He is de- 
voted to business and extremely fond of food. Wears 
a well-cut light suit throughout the play. Makes his 
first entrance wearing a light overcoat and hat. 

Helm — About twenty-six, of slight build and dark 
complexion. He affects the mannerisms of the poet 
without making a caricature of the part. He pre- 
tends great enthusiasm for adventure, but his nat- 
urally timid nature causes him to go into a complete 
funk in the presence of danger. Throughout the 
play, he wears a suit of rather extreme style and 
fashionable accessories which suggest the dandy. 
Makes his first entrance wearing a light overcoat and 
hat. 

Sonny — Aged twenty. In Act I she is wistful and 
appealing, very much the little girl in dress and 
manner. She is naturally plucky, but her evil night- 
mare has worn on her nerves until she is obsessed 
with the idea of being a coward. In Act III, she 
loses her fearfulness and becomes the spirited, self- 
reliant western girl. In Acts I and II, she wears a 
dark, girlish-looking dress suitable for traveling, and 
at her first entrance has on a light coat and a cap. 
In Act III, she appears in chaps with a black shirt, 
neckerchief, spurs, and battered old hat. A cart- 
ridge belt, with holster and gun, is around her waist. 

El Malo — Aged about fifty-five. He is a small, 
wiry American with white hair and a weatherbeaten 
face. His manner is in complete contrast with what 
one would expect to find in a bandit and outlaw. 
Wears an old dark shirt, corduroy trousers tucked 
into high boots, and a leather jacket. 



SONNY 



PROPERTIES 

Acts I and II 

Large leather divan 
Armchair 

Library table with drawer 
Four straight-backed chairs 
Telephone table and chair 
Telephone instrument 
Fireplace with mantel 

Pair of "longhorns" (hooks or pegs may be sub- 
stituted) 
Man's hat 
Pair of spurs 

Flask supposed to contain whisky 
Whisk broom 
Books 

Indian water jug 
Box of cigars 
Magazines 
Newspapers 

Framed photograph of a girl 
Guitar to be played off stage 
Candle and candlestick 
Navajo blanket 
Bright-colored table scarf 
Rugs 
Curtains 
Drapes 
Pillows 

Electrolier ^ 

Wall switch 
Auto horn to sound off stage 



SONNY 



Act III 

Long hotel desk 

Bench 

Three small tables 

Twelve kitchen chairs 

Small stove 

Picture of Mexican celebrity 

Mexican flag 

Picture of Lincoln 

American flag 

Case of pigeonholes 

Several letters 

Two or three hotel keys 

Wooden strip with pegs 

Hotel register 

Writing paraphernalia 

Kerosene bracket lamp with reflector 

Table lamp (wired for electricity) 

Santa Fe railroad map 

Four or five men's hats 

Small clock 

Bottle supposed to contain brandy 

Pictures cut from cheap magazines, advertising 

calendars, etc. 
Cocoanut shells for hoof beats off stage 
For Francelia — Glass of lemon soda, two empty 
glasses. 

For Tucker — Cup of tea, pocket comb, gunny 
sack of potatoes, bucket, two paring knives, tray 
with glasses (with Bud), two earthenware bowls, 
.44 revolver with blank cartridges. 

For Bud — Handkerchief, tray with glasses (with 
Tucker), deck of cards, watch. 

For Caroline — Large hand bag containing box 



10 SONNY 



of candy ; suit case ; tray of food, with plate, knife, 
fork, spoon, cup, and saucer. 

For McCoRD — Suit case, cocktail shaker, cup of 
coffee, large sandwich. 

For Helm — Suit case. 

For Sonny — ^Gun in holster. 

For El Malo — Gun loaded with blank cartridges. 



SONNY 



11 



SCENE PLOT 



Acts I and II 



EXTERIOR. BACKING 



WINDOW 




RIGHT 



LEFT 



Act III 



EXTERIOR BACKIMQ - 5TREET 5CENE 
STREET 

DC5uBt-E WiNCOW 

OOORS 



WINCX3W 



CHAIR 



Exterior 
back. yard 



POOR. TO 
BACK YARD 



QCUAIR □ 
□ FABujn CHAIR 



L 




RIGHT 



STAGE DIRECTIONS 

Up stage means away from footlights ; down stage, 
near footlights. In the use of right and left, the 
actor is supposed to be facing the audience. 



SONNY 



First Act 
Scene: Lming room of the Christy ranch near 
Calo CalicOy California. It has five doors: one down 
left and a second up left, both leading to bedrooms; 
a third up right leading to a spare room, a fourth 
down right leading to the dining room and kitchen, 
and a fifth up center leading outdoors. The center 
door, which is raised two steps above the floor level, 
is supposedly of heavy wood and has iron brackets 
screwed to the frame, by means of which it can be 
barred from the inside. In the back drop, at right 
and left of the center door respectively, are two win- 
dows with wooden blinds or shutters. The room gives 
one the impression of mellowness and comfort. The 
furniture, the rugs, and the sparse draperies are in 
quiet good taste and are not new. In the middle of 
the right wall is a rough fireplace with a mantel- 
shelf, on which are a few books, an Indian water jug, 
and a box of cigars. In front of the fireplace, partly 
facing the audience, is a huge leather divan draped 
carelessly with a bright-colored Navajo blanket. A 
little left of center is a table with three straight- 
backed chairs around it — one at right, another at 
left, and a third back of it facing the audience. 
There is a small telephone table just below door 
dozim left, with an instrument on it and a straight- 
backed chair beside it. An armchair is in the upper 

13 



14 SONNY Act I 

right-hand corner, and a straight-bached chair is 
down right, just a little below the door to the dining 
room. On the wall near the door down right is a pair 
of *'longhorns'' or ordinary hooks, on one of which 
hangs a jnans hat, while a pair of spurs is nailed to 
the wall near by. The center table has a drawer in 
which there is a whisk broom, also a flask presum- 
ably containing whisky. On the table are a gayly 
colored drape, a pile of magazines, some newspapers, 
and the framed photograph of a girl. In the back 
drop at left of center door is a switch which controls 
the cluster of overhead electric lights at center of 
stage. It is late in the afternoon. 

At rise of curtain, the door and the windows up 
center are open, arid through them appears a flat, 
monotonous landscape, bare except for some rocky 
foothills in the distance. Francelia is standing in 
the doorway up center, while a voice off stage, ac- 
companied by a guitar, sings softly. 

Tucker enters, up center, coming from left. He 
pauses to look at Francelia, crosses down right to 
look off right, then turns back to Francelia. 

Tucker. 
(Quietly.) 
Francelia. {She does not answer,) Francelia! 

Francelia. 
{Turning to him.) 
Senor .? 

Tucker. 
(Ironically.) 
What are you made up for? 



Act I SONNY 15 

Francelia. 
I go presently to the fiesta. 

Tucker. 
And leave all the work? 

Francelia. 
I do my work, senor. The boys ship all the cattle, 
then they go Viega City for beeg time. Get drunk; 
pass pleasant evening. I go to the fiesta. (She 
bows as if to go.) Excuse! 

Tucker. 
Reckon you hadn't better go, Francelia. 

Francelia. 
(Firmlj/.) 
Si, senor. I must. It is most important. 

Tucker. 
(Suspiciously.) 
How important? 

Francelia. 
I have borrow thees things for but one night. (In- 
dicates her clothes.) 

Tucker. 
I had no idea your affairs was so complicated. All 
right. Lope along. (Seats himself on divan right 
and allows Francelia to reach door before he 
speaks.) Oh, Francelia! What do you hear about 
this here Mexican bandit, El Malo? 

Francelia. 
(Coming down, frightened.) 
He's very bad fellah, senor. He keel Ex-President 
Carillo and steal his army. Every place he go he 



16 SONNY Act 1 

keel and steal. People most terrible afraid of him. 
It is why they call him El Malo. "El Malo" mean 
"bad man." 

Tucker. 
Where is he now? 

Francelia. 
I do not know, seiior. 

Tucker. 
I thought maybe you'd heard something from your 
friends over the border. 

Francelia. 
(Plaintively.) 
I have no friends. I am a Mexican, 

Tucker. 
(Significantly.) 
I'll be your friend if you come across. 

Francelia. 
I like better stay in California. 

Tucker. 
You know what I mean. In case you do hear any- 
thing about this bad man, you trot right to me with 
it. It'll be worth a little money to you. 

Francelia. 
(Shrugging.) 
I have already two dollar. It is enough. 

Enter Bud Williams, up right, hrisldy. 



Act I SONNY 17 

Bud. 
Francelia, you got to go to town for me pronto. 
Gosh ! I wish I had a cup of coffee. 

Tucker. 
There might be some tea in the kitchen. Could 
you swallow a cup of that? 

Bud. 

Might if I held my nose. Git me some; will you, 
Ping.? 

Tucker. 
What's up.? 

Bud. 

(Excitedly.) 

No need to git excited. Do as I tell you. (Exit 

Tucker, down right. Francelia exits, tip center, 

slowly and sulkily. Bud calls through the door to 

Tucker.) Tell Chong to kill a dozen or so chickens. 

Tucker. 
{Calling from off down right.) 
Chong ain't here. 

Bud. 
Holy gopher ! Where's he gone to ? 

Tucker. 
(Calling from off down right.) 
To the rodeo with the rest of the boys, I reckon. 

He enters, down right, with a cup of tea, which he 
carries to table at left center. 

Tucker. 
I'll git your supper for you. 



18 SONNY Actl 

Bud. 

You can't cook for half a dozen people. 

Tucker. 
Ain't that many people in town right now. Set 
down nice and pretty an' tell me about it. 

Bud. 

(Distractedly/.) 
Leavin' me flat now, of all times ! What'U she 
think.? 

Tucker. 
She.? Who.? 

Bud. 

Sonny ! She's due from the East on the six o'clock 
train. 

Tucker. 
(Becoming as excited as Bud.) 
No! Why didn't you tell me that in the first 
place.? You're rattled ; that's what you are ! You'd 
ought to keep cool like me. (Gets out a pocket comb 
and combs his hair.) Have I got time to shave.? 
When did you git word.? Anybody goin' in to meet 
her? 

Bud. 

(Sipping the tea.) 
When you're through stampedin' that way, I'll ex- 
plain. First thing, the next train ain't likely to be in 
before eight o'clock, and the next thing is, what are 
we goin' to eat in place of supper.? 

Tucker. 
We'll cook supper our own selves. You ain't for- 
got how to make flapjacks. 



Act I SONNY 



Bud. 

Thej ain't very stylish. 

Tucker. 
Sonny won't care. We'll boil a few potatoes and 
open a can of peaches, and that'll make a right nice 
spread. I'll mill around in here and see what Chong 
left. (Crosses and exit down right.) 

Francelia enters, up center. 

Bud. 

Francelia, I want you to go to the Royal Oyster 
Parlor in town. They're piecin' together a couple 
quarts of ice cream for me. You hang around in 
Calico all ready, and the minute the sun goes down, 
you make a bee-line for home with it. (He brushes 
his clothes and shoes with a whisk broom that he 
takes from the table drawer.) 

Francelia. 
(Sulkily.) 
You make promise to geeve me a holiday thees 
night. 

Bud. 

Y^es, but I didn't know then that Miss Christy was 
comin'. 

Francelia. 
(Brightening.) 
Mees Chreesty? A senorita.? 

Bud. 
The senorita that owns this rancho. She arrive on 
tren direct o de la seis. Ice cream por ella. Sabe? 



20 SONNY Act I 

Francelia. 

(Beaming.) 

Si, senor! I fly! (Exit, down left, languidly.) 

(Bud straightens out the magazines on the table, 
picks up a framed photo, smiles at it affectionately, 
and crosses to put it on mantelshelf.) 

Tucker, off stage, hums a sentimental popular 
air as he enters, down right, carrying a gunny sack 
of potatoes, a bucket, and two bowls and paring 
knives. He crosses to sit at right of table. 

Tucker. 
How do you peel a potato, Bud? Around the 
edges or close to the bone? 

Bud. 

(Drawing up a chair.) 
Oh, I give my knife plenty of rein and leave her 
go where she likes. Always strikes me there's some- 
thin' kinda sad about a potato. 

Tucker. 
Yeh. It's the only vegetable I know of that can't 
git stewed. 

(They peel the potatoes and throw them into the 
bucket.) 

Bud. 

Tliat ain't it. I figger every time I meet up with 
one that his home in the ground is goin' to be my 
home some day when I'm planted. Seems like I ought 
to be polite enough to look him in the eye in passin' 
and say, "Howdy, neighbor." 



Act I SONNY 21 

Tucker. 
Anybody comin' with Jack? 

Bud. 

Three of her playmates from school, her wire said. 
Little scamp ! I bet by this time she's eight foot tall. 

Tucker. 
Shucks ! Two years ain't much ! Is she feelin' 
better now? How did she come out with that doctor? 

Bud. 

(Gravely.) 
He don't seem to help her none. 

Tucker. 
Does he know about — about the whole thing? 

Bud. 

Yeh. I wrote him. I told him I'd raised Sonny 
from a baby, and that this here nightmare she has 
that scares her plumb crazy ain't no nightmare a-tall 
but somethin' she seen with her own eyes when she 
was too little to understand. I told him he mustn't 
tell her that, though. 

Tucker. 
Why not? You've been a damn fool not to tell her. 



I couldn't. 



Bud. 

(Painfully.) 



Tucker. 
(After a pause.) 
How old is Sonny now? 



22 SONNY Act I 

Bud. 
Twenty. 

Tucker. 
Twenty! Is it seventeen years since her paw and 
maw died? 

Bud. 

Yeh! I'm afraid — 

Tucker. 
What of? 

Bud. 

I'm afraid Sonny'U begin to think of gettin' mar- 
ried pretty soon now. 

Tucker. 
Likely. 

Bud. 

When she does, she's got to have the best man they 
is anywheres, and I'm going to kick like a steer if 
he don't measure up to requirements. 

Tucker. 
When are you aimin' to git married, Bud? 

Bud. 
Me! To who? 

Tucker. 
To Sonny, of course. 

Bud. 

What the hell is the matter with you. Ping? You 
gone loco? I'd give my right arm if that could come 
true; you know that. But it can't. It just plain 
can't. 



Act I SONNY 23 

Tucker. 
It can't if you don't ask her. Don't expect her to 
ask you; do you? 

Bud. 

{Frightened.) 
Lord, Ping! I never thought of that. What'd I 
do if she ever did? 

Tucker, 
Say, "yes," like a man. 

Bud. 

No, Ping. I'd have to tell her about me and her 
paw, and the minute I did she'd hate me. You know 
what she thinks. 

Tucker. 
Yeh. You've fed her up with a lot of fairy stories 
about him bein' the bravest critter that ever trod 
sole leather. Why didn't you let her know the truth ? 
— that he was a ornery whinin' put when he was sober 
and a murderin', hell-tearin' devil when he was drunk 
— which was 'most always. You been just a plain 
damn fool. Bud. I said that before, and I'll leave 
it lay and copper it with another stack. Say, how 
many of these here potatoes have we got to skin? 

Bud. 
Keep on dealin'. We ain't got enough to draw to 
yet. (Tucker drops his knife awkwardly.) S'mat- 
ter? You nervous? 

Tucker. 
Er — no. 

Bud. 

Got something on your mind? 



24 SONNY Act I 

Tucker. 
In a way, yeh. Bud, if I was still the marshal, 
I'd be right busy now. There's a heap of talk in 
town about this El Malo outlaw. 

Bud. 

(Kidding him.) 
You keep away from them ladies' sewin' bees. 
Some of these days you're goin' to hear somethin' 
real naughty. 

Tucker. 
( Thoughtfully. ) 
Might be some truth to it. Maybe he's over in 
that pass back of Los Pajaros, hidin'. 

Bud. 

Let's us hide, too, and get even with him. 

Tucker. 
(Savagely.) 
That dude Bennett wouldn't know how to handle 
him. Like as not Bennett's over to Viega City this 
minute at the rodeo. Fine marshal he is, leavin' his 
town wide open for anybody to come in and steal it ! 
What'd he do if this here bandit swooped down 
Main Street.? 

Bud. 

He could throw an ice cream cone at him. 

Tucker. 
Yeh ! Or stick his tongue out sassy. Marshal ! 
Hell! 

Bud. 

Well, they ain't no danger. 



Act I '^ SONNY 25 

Tucker. 
( Worried. ) 
I dunno. That El Malo is bad medicine. Did you 
know he dropped Ex-President Carillo.? Shot him 
straight through the head. 

Bud. 

Shucks! That hadn't ought to have hurt him. 
Why didn't he aim at his stummick? 

Tucker. 
Reckon such a big target kinda rattled him. 

(There is a sound of an auto horn off stage in the 
distance. Both men jump to their feet.) 

Bud. 
My God ! Don't tell me that train was on time ! 
(He and Tucker bolt for door, down right, carry- 
ing the potatoes.) Let me get by. I got to wash 
my hands; ain't I? 

Tucker. 
(Struggling to pass him through the door.) 
It won't show up on you like it will on me. I ain't 
a brunette. (Exeunt Tucker and Bud, down right.) 

(There are louder blasts of the auto horn, then 
the sound of a machine stopping, and general laugh- 
ter.) 

Bud enters, down right, drying his hands on his 
handkerchief. 

Bud. 
Where is she? 



26 SONNY *_ Act I 

He rushes out, up center, as Tucker enters, doivn 
right. 

Tucker. 
Where is she? 

Caroline Dodson enters, up center, carrying a 
small traveling bag and a suit case. She crosses di- 
rectly down to Tucker and speaks crisply. 

Caroline. 
You are Mr. Tucker? Mr. Williams told us we 
would find you here. 

Tucker. 
{Eyeing approvingly her suit case and hag.) 
Yes'ml' 

McCoRD and Helm enter, up center, each carrying 
a suit case. They remove their hats. 

Caroline. 
{Introducing them to Tucker.) 
Mr. McCord and Mr. Helm. 

(All acknowledge introductions with hows and nods.) 

Tucker. 
(To the men.) 
You ain't the little friends Sonny was bringin' with 
her? 

Helm. 
The very same. 

McCoRD. 

We're the little playmates. 



Act I SONNY 27 

Tucker. 
Reckon Bud didn't realize how growed up she is. 
He come near gittin' some rockin' horses. 

Enter Bud, up center^ escorting Sonny. 

Bud. 

Here she is. 

Sonny. 
{Joyously.) 
Ping! (Skips doivn to Tucker and hugs him, then 
turns to hug Bud.) Buddy! I'm so glad to be home 
again. Tell me all about yourself. How are the 
pigs ? And the chickens ? And the little brown banty 
rooster.? 

Bud. 
The banty rooster.? He got so dog-gone danger- 
ous we had to kill him. 

Sonny. 
{Laughing.) 
You mustn't tease me any more. I'm grown up 
now. 

Bud. 

You are; are you.? 

Sonny. 
And I've learned ever so many terribly important 
things — Latin and Greek and bridge and how to flirt. 

Bud. 

What.? (Sonny opens and closes her eyes rapidly 
in a sidelong, mischievous glance at him.) Here! 
Stop that, you young scalawag! 



28 SONNY Act I 

Sonny. 
I've got to practice on somebody. 

Bud. 
Reckon I'll do some practicin' my own self. 
Where's that hair brush? 

Sonny. 

I'm not afraid of you. Not the teeniest, weeniest 
bit. Where's Betty? 

Caroline. 



Betty? 
My horse! 



Sonny. 



Bud. 

I didn't have no idea you expected to find her 
settin' in the parlor. 

Sonny. 
Silly! Where is that box of candy? {She crosses 
up to Caroline, who gives her a box of candy from 
her hand hag.) Have one of the boys take your 
bag in there. {Points to door, down left.) Will 
you, dear? I'll be right back. I'm going to give 
Betty a party. {She starts to cent-er and stops.) 
There is rum in this. Do you suppose — ? Oh, I 
don't care. We'll give her a bucket of bromo seltzer 
in the morning. {Exit, up center, going right.) 

(McCoRD and Helm remove their overcoats and 
drop them on the divan.) 

Tucker. 
• {Crossing to Caroline.) 

I didn't hear your last name. 



Act I SONNY 29 



Dodson. 

Miss? 

Mrs. 



Caroline. 

Tucker. 

Caroline. 



Tucker. 
(Sighing disappoin tedly. ) 
I was afraid so. {He picks up her hag and suit 
case, and they exeunt, down left.) 

McCoRD. 
(To Bud.) 
You have a fine bi^ place here. How many acres.? 

Bud. 

There's a few miles of it in 'most any direction you 
want to ride. The Mexican border has got us 
hemmed in kinda close on the south side. 

Helm. 

(In center doorway.) 
I say, Mac! Did you notice the view from this 
door.? 

McCoRD. 
(Slightly contemptuous.) 
Don't pay any attention to him, Williams. He 
is only a writer. 

Bud. 
(Admiringly.) 
No ! Is he.? They look just like other men; don't 
they.? 



30 SONNY Act I 

Helm. 

(Patronizingly.) 
What time does the sun set? 

Bud. 

Long about evenin'. 

Helm. 
Do we dress for dinner? 

Bud. 

We keep on something, as a rule. However, make 
yourselves at home, both of you. Glad you're here. 

Helm. 

(Sitting on divan.) 
This is my first trip west. 

McCoRD. 
(Sitting at right of center table.) 
Mine, too. I hope we shan't be in the way. 

Bud. 

Not in mine. Sorry you didn't get here for the 
round-up and the shippin' ; it's the only excitement 
we have all year. 

Helm. 

(Disappointed.) 
No excitement? I thought the West was so full 
of color. 

Bud. 

Not unless you mean sunburn. 

McCoRD. 
A little of that wouldn't hurt you, Harry. 



Act I SONNY 31 

Bud. 
He does look kinda peaked; don't he? 

Helm. 

(In a grandiose manner.) 
My work does that. Creative work is very trying. 

Bud. 

Well, can't you create out in the open wjiere 
there's fresh air.? 

Helm. 

Hardly! I write only at night when it's still and 
— oh, you know — mysterious and romantic. 

McCoRD. 
(Jeeringly.) 
"Still and mysterious and romantic !" Night was 
meant for sleep ; that's what it was meant for. I do 
hate to miss my sleep. 

Bud. 
I better be figgerin' where to put you. Let's see. 
Miss Dodson's got that room over there next to 
Sonny. 

McCoRD. 
Sonny? 

Bud. 

Yeh. That's what we call Jacqueline. Her paw 
couldn't bear women. 

McCoRD. 
I see. 

Bud. 

(Indicating door up left.) 
I'll put you boys in here next to me. We got more 



32 SONNY Act I 

rooms then we kin eat. Do jou like 'em kinda tight 
and snug-fittin' or spread round out some so's jou 
kin wallow around? 

Helm. 

Any kind for me. Just give me one where I can 
see the sky. 

Bud. 
You can't miss it, no way you look. 

McCoRD. 
I'd like a big bed. That's all I want. 

Bud. 
Then your every desire will be gratified instant. 
I'll give you 01' Man Christy's room. 

McCoRD. 



Is he away.'' 
Entirely. 



Bud. 



Helm. 
(To Bud.) 
I must get you to tell me something about the early 
days. I don't suppose there is anything happening 
now to write about — anything romantic. 

Bud. 

• No'm ; they ain't. 

Helm. 

Of course not. Everything now is money — money ! 
I wish I had lived in the good old days when a chap 
carried his lady's glove next his heart and fought 
his way out of tight places. That was living! 



Act I SONNY 33 

McCoRD. 
You poor nut! There are just as many ti^ht 
places to-day as there ever were. Just because the 
fight is commercial, that doesn't make it any the less 
exciting. If you want real sport, you sharpen up 
your little sword and go jump into the Stock Ex- 
change. 

Bud. 

(Admiringly.) 
Strikes me you're both after big game of some 
kind. I sure would admire to trail along behind and 
see you bring it down. 

McCoRD. 
I guess you do get sort of rusty out here. 

Tucker enters, doxsm left. 

Bud. 

You only got to look at old Ping there to see how 
deadly rust kin really be. 

Tucker. 
What's that about me and rust.? 

Bud. 
Ping, in the shinin' blade of his youth, was the bor- 
der marshal hereabouts. 

Helm. 

(Interested.) 
That's good. The marshal, eh.? 

McCoRD. 
What do they find to marsh in these days.? 



34 SONNY Act I 

Tucker. 
Oh, in the open season, you kin trap a drunk 
greaser or two. The Mexican border runs straight 
through the Grand Commercial Hotel in Calico. 

Helm. 
Have you ever seen any real fighting.'' 

Tucker. . 
Yeh. I've saw a few scraps where they drawed 
guns and blood and maybe a wrong card. 

Bud. 

Show 'em Gladys. 

(Tucker crosses to center and draws from his hip 
pocket a worn hlue-barreled .^^ revolver.) 

Tucker. 
Here she is. 

Helm. 
{Amused.) 
I say, that's pretty good, you know. "Gladys." 

Tucker. 
She was once pointed at the wickedest train rob- 
ber that ever stuck up an express. 

Bud. 

(Innocently.) 
No ! Who did she belong to when this happened ? 

Tucker. 
Me and her has sat in some big games in our 
younger days. She don't help me much around the 
farm now, though. 



Act I SONNY 35 

McCoRD. 
(I7iterested,) 
Farm? Near Calico? 

Bud. 

Ping has got a ranch on the corner of Broadway 
and Eighth Street. 

Tucker. 
That reminds me : If I'm going to be cook around 
this particular shack to-night, I reckon I'd better see 
how dinner's gittin' on. (Eccit, down right.) 

McCoRD. 
(Doubtftdly.) 
I'm rather a hearty eater. 

Bud. 

I admire food some myself. I'll trail to town to- 
morrow and dig up another chink. Maybe the laun- 
dry has got one that kin scorch something besides 
a shirt. 

Tucker enters, down right, and halts in the doorway. 

Tucker. 
It's all in the stove. 

Bud. 

Ping, you talk like an advertisement. What is it? 

Tucker. 
Supper. Chong left a roast as thick as your head. 

Bud. 

Ain't that the most convenient thing? Do you 
reckon Gladys would be jealous if you was to shoot 
a few biscuits into, the oven? 



36 SONNY Act I 

Tucker. 
I'll see how my trigger finger works. {Exit, down 
right,) 

Bud. 

Now if you gents will bring your wraps (picks up 
the metis suit cases) — we may as well bed down for 
the night and have it over with. {Exit, up right, 
with the suit cases, followed by McCord and Helm, 
carrying their hats and overcoats.) 

Sonny enters, up center, coming from right. At 
the door she turns and waves her hand at some one 
off right, then advances into the room. She looks 
around it lovingly, then crosses to door down left, 
as Bud enters, up right. As he comes to cejiter, she 
crosses back to him and throws her arms around him. 

Sonny. 
I can hardly believe that I'm honest, truly home 
again. Home ! 

Bud. 

It ain't home when you ain't here, honey. 

Sonny. 
{Pulling him to divan where they sit.) 
Come over here, and let's have a real talk before 
anyone else comes in. Have I changed much.'' 

Bud. 

Yeh, in a way. I always been used to seein' you 
in your ridin' togs — your chaps and your old black 
shirt. And these here things make you look kinda 
sissified. 



Act I SONNY 37 

Sonny. 

(Wistfully,) 
What good times we did have when we were boys ! 
Was I much trouble to raise, Bud? 

Bud. 
Nobody is any trouble when you love 'em, Sonny. 

Sonny. 
(Patting his knee tenderly.) 
You've been father and mother and big brother 
to me. 

Bud. 

I'd like to be a deal more to you than that. 

Sonny. 
(Innocently.) 
But you couldn't be any more to me than you are 
already. 

Bud. 

(Hesitating.) 
No; I know I couldn't. (He changes the subject.) 
How'd you like it back east.? 

Sonny. 
The school is all right, but I get awfully homesick. 

Bud. 

You look powerful well. How are you feelin'.? 

Sonny. 
(Evasively.) 
Oh, all right, I guess. 

Bud. 

Doctor doin' you any good? 



38 SONNY Act I 



Not much! 



Sonny. 
(Sighing.) 



Bud. 

{Sympathetically,) 
What's the matter, honey? Has the oV nightmare 
been botherin' you again? 

Sonny. 

{Shivering.) 

Terribly ! I had it almost every night last week 

just because I happened to pick up a newspaper and 

read a lot in it about El Malo, the Mexican outlaw. 

Wasn't that silly? 

Bud. 

What's El Malo got to do with it? 

Sonny. 

Nothing! It just shows how frightened and nerv- 
ous I am all the time. That's one reason why I came 
home. You're the only one who understands. I do 
honestly believe, Buddie, that if it weren't for you, 
I'd want to die and have it over with. 

Bud. 

Sh ! Don't say that. Son ! Why, whatever would 
I do without you? 

Sonny. 

{Despairingly.) 

I'm no good to myself or to anybody else this way. 

I hate a coward. There is nothing on earth as low 

as a coward, and I'm one, and I can't help myself-7- 

{Her voice breaks, and she rises and crosses to left.) 



Act I SONNY 39 

Bud. 

(Rising and following her.) 
Son, I'm going to spank you and send you to bed 
like when I caught you smokin' cigarettes that time. 
You ain't a coward. 

Sonny. 
I am! I'm as yellow as a coyote. 

Bud. 

It don't say in my etiquette book that you dast 
call a lady a liar to her face, but I'm goin' to. You 
ain't afraid to ride a wild lioss, and you ain't afraid 
of a cyclone. And what about the time you waltzed 
over to the doctor and let him set a broken leg with- 
out even takin' a gal-size swig of liquor to ease the 
pain.? 

Sonny. 
(Comforted.) 
Oh, that! That was nothing. 

Bud. 

I'm gamblin' there's a heap of ladies who would 
faint graceful instead. 

Sonny. 
(Smiling.) 
You old darling! How old are you. Bud.? 

Bud. 
Oh, I'm gettin' on toward forty or fifty. I was 
thirty-two last spring. 

Sonny. 
Do you like the boys? 



40 SONNY Act I 

Bud. 
Yeh. I always did. 

Sonny. 
I mean the two I broug'ht with me. 

Bud. 
(Critically.) 
Ye-ah! Not so much that I'd care to kiss 'em 
often. 

Sonny. 

(Settling herself in a chair.) 

I wish you'd listen to me as closely as ever you 

can because I'm goin^ to tell you the other reason 

why I came home. First of all — you love me; don't 

you, Bud.f* 

Bud. 
I sure do, Son. 

Sonny. 
Cross your heart .^^ 

Bud. 

Hope to die. 

Sonny. 
Then you won't mind if I ask you a question? 

Bud. 

( Uneasily. ) 
"^hat kind of a question? 

Sonny. 
Well, this is the whole idea: I'm grown up now, 
and I'm old enough to be married, and it's going to 
be to one of those two boys, and I want you to tell 
me which one. 



Act I SONNY 41 

Bud. 

(Astounded.) 
Hold on! I'm four miles behind you! You what? 

Sonny. 
I'm going to marry one of them, Bud. I couldn't 
decide which one, so I thought the best thing to do 
would be to have them both come home with me and 
let 3^ou choose. 

Bud. 
Oh! 

Sonny. 
You know all about men — the right kind of men — 
because you're one yourself. 

Bud. 

{Patnfidly.) 
Are you so tired of your home that you want to 
leave it this a way.^^ 

Sonny. 
I wouldn't leave it, dear. I'd just bring him here 
to live with us. 

Bud. 

And you're stuck on both these two kids.^ That 
don't seem natural to me. 

Sonny. 
I'm not. I don't care a rap about either one of 
them. 

Bud. 

Sonny, the East has done something fancy to your 
disposition that sure does fool me. Now you start 



42 SONNY Act I 

the other way around, and maybe I kin git it through 
my head. 

Sonny. 
(Hesitatingly,) 
I want to get married, Bud. 

Bud. 

(Patiently.) 
Why, honey? They must be some reason. 

Sonny. 
You — you won't laugh if I tell you.? 

Bud. 
Not a chuckle if it's goin' to hurt your feelin's. 

Sonny. 

(Awkwardly.) 
Well, it's just this : I'm so tired of being a coward 
and not of any account to the world that I thought 
— I figured it all out — that — that if I got married 
I could maybe have six sons. I would like six. Six 
brave sons to make up for me ! And that would show 
that I did my 'best, even if I was a coward. And as 
long as I want six — at -least six of them — I don't 
think I ought to lose much more time; do you.? 

Bud. 

(Deeply touched.) 
That's a beautiful plan. Sonny. 

Sonny. 
I think so ! I thought you would, too, when I told 
you. I didn't really think you'd laugh at me. 

Bud. 
No, my dear. 



Act I SONNY 43 

Sonny. 
It looks to me like the only thing to do. I thought 
of everything — nights when I sat up by the window 
all night long — and there didn't seem to be one single 
way out of it. And then, all of a sudden, I hap- 
pened to think of this plan, and after a while I went 
right to sleep. I was pretty tired. 

Bud. 

Pore kid! 

Sonny. 
Of course, I'd rather wait if I could find somebody 
I loved. I've read that people do find other people 
that they — you know — just belong to. But that's 
selfish. A coward hasn't any right to think of him- 
self and I won't. I won't do that. 

Bud. 

(Slowly.) 
Son, didn't it ever strike you that there might be 
a reason for this here thing that's the matter with 
you, this — this — 

Sonny. 
Yellow streak? 

Bud. 

Well, call it that for the time bein'. 

Sonny. 
(Rising.) 
No, dear. That is one thing there is no excuse 
for, and you know that as well as I do. 

Bud. 
(Arguing.) 
But they is, sometimes. 



44 SONNY Act I 

Sonny. 
Maybe in an ordinary family. But I'm not or- 
dinary; at least I shouldn't be. My father was a 
pioneer and a brave determined man. That's what 
you've always told me. 

Bud. 

(Hanging his head.) 
Yeh! 

Sonny. 
I don't remember my mother, but she must have 
been brave, too, or he wouldn't have liked her. 

Bud. 
Your paw had nothin' on your maw fer spunk. 

Sonny. 

(Passionately.) 

Then why should I be like this? It isn't ri^ht. It 

isn't fair to them ! Sometimes — sometimes I'm ^lad 

they're both dead. I couldn't bear to have them 

ashamed of me — and they would be. They'd hate me. 

Bud. 

Son, me and you are goin' to have a long talk one 
of these days real soon. I don't know as I've been 
altogether right in keepin' from you a few facts. 

Sonny. 
About what.'' 

Bud. 

About me. Me and your paw. 

Sonny. 
(Pi'oudli/.) 
The two bravest men that ever lived. 



Act I SONNY 45 

Bud. 

Not me! I ain't so brave. 

Sonny. 
There is nothing on earth you're afraid of. 

Bud. 

(Slowli/.) 
Yeh ! Just one thing. 

Sonny. 
(Laughing.) 
I don't believe you. What is it.? 

Bud. 

A gun! 

Sonny. 
(Incredulously, ) 
Bud! (She crosses, laughing, to him.) You're 
an old story teller, that's what you are. Y^ou're 
just trying to make me feel better by pretending that 
you're in my class when you ain't. (She starts.) 
Did you hear me say, "ain't.?" I ain't said, "ain't" 
for a long time. 

Bud. 

Is it ag'in' the game laws back east.? 

Sonny. 
I just don't hear it; that's all. You get talking 
the way people around you talk. 

Bud. 

I hope you ain't going to leave us low westerners 
sour your grammar on you. 



46 SONNY Act I 

Sonny. 

(With broad western dialect.) 
No'm. I ain't. 

Enter McCord, up right. 

McCoRD. 
Having a little board meeting.? 

Bud. 

I wasn't. Was you bored, Son? 

Sonny. 
Sit down, Bob. You'll get used to Bud after a 
while. 

Bud. 
Yeh. I git to be kind of a habit. 

Sonny. 
You're the most comfy habit I know. 

Bud. 

So is an old pair of shoes. There are times when 
I wisht I was made of satin and had gold buttons on 
me. (At Sonny's puzzled look, he rises and goes 
down right.) When do you want to eat.?^ 

McCoRD. 
(Eagerly.) 
I'm ready right now. 

Bud. 

I'll see how Ping feels about it. {Exit, down 
right.) 

McCoRD. 

(Sitting at right of table.) 
Nice chap! Does he run the ranch for you.? 



Act I SONNY 47 

Sonny. 

(Sitting on divan.) 

Yes ! He's wise and good and — oh, everything ! 

McCoRD. 

What do you have to pay a fellow like that? 

Sonny. 
Why, Bob! We own the ranch together. It's as 
much his as mine. 

McCoRD. 
Ah, a relative of yours. I didn't understand that. 

Sonny. 
No, no relation at all. When he was a little boy, 
he worked for my father. (Proudly.) My father 
was the bravest man in California. 

McCoRD. 
I don't get it. What right has this chap got to 
claim a partnership in the place.'' 

Sonny. 
He doesn't claim any partnership. He wouldn't 
claim anything. But we sort of grew up together 
and when father and mother died he looked after me 
and brought me up. Do you think I could pay him 
a salary now.? 

McCoRD. 
(Stubbornly.) 
It's only business. 

Sonny. 
(Rising.) 
That's all vou think about — business. 



48 SONNY Act I 

McCoRD. 
(Rising and joining her at center.) 
What else is there worth while? Show it to me, 
and if there's anything in it, I'll take a whack at it. 

Sonny. 
A "whack" at it. Yes; I think you would. 
(Giggles and crosses to left.) 

McCoRD. 
Sure, I would. 

Sonny. 
(Pleadingly.) 
Anyhow, don't let's quarrel again. 

McCoRD. 
I don't like to quarrel, but it seems almost im- 
possible to talk to a woman for five minutes with- 
out — 

Sonny. 

(Laughing.) 

Without hitting her. (Sits at right of table.) 

McCoRD. 
Not quite that. Jack. I'm a brute, but it's hard 
for a man to remember all the time that women are, 
after all, just a lot of children. 

Sonny. 
(Interested, turns to him quickly.) 
Do you like children? 

McCoRD. 
Lord, yes ! Jolly little beggars ! They like me, 
too. I never saw a kid yet that didn't want to climb 
all over me. 



Act I SONNY 49 

Sonny. 

(Ecccitedlij.) 
You must be an awfully good man, then. Chil- 
dren know. They can always tell. 

McCoRD. 
I prefer them, however, at the ripe old age of 
five or six. They're not so messy then. 

Sonny. 

(Disappointed. ) 
Don't you like little ones? Little teeny ones that 
you have to rock? 

McCoRD. 
(Glaring at her sternly.) 
No child of mine will ever be rocked. 

Sonny. 
(Meekly.) 
Suppose he cries ! 

McCoRD. 
Temper! When a child cries it's temper — just 
that and nothing else. 

Sonny. 

(Arguing.) 
But it isn't always temper. He might be sick — 
the poor little thing! 

McCoRD. 
Not with the nurses we have to-day. 

Sonny. 
Nurse? Oh, yes, of course. 

McCoRD. 
Some friends of mine back home have three — chil- 



50 SONNY Act I 

dren, not nurses — and I ^ive you my word, you'd 
never know there was a kid on the place. You never 
see them or hear them. By Jove! I don't believe 
their own parents get a glimpse of them once a week. 

Sonny. 
(Horrified.) 
Where do they keep them.^ In the cellar.'' 

McCoRD. 
In the nursery, where they belong. It's off in a 
wing of the house on the top floor. 

Sonny. 

(Indignantly.) 
They can't be very nice children, or their parents 
wouldn't be ashamed of them. 

McCoRD. 
(Crossly.) 
They're wonderful children. It's just that they 
aren't being brought up by the sloppy, old-fashioned 
method. When they get into a temper, nobody pays 
any attention to them. If they become frightened, 
they howl away by themselves until they come to 
and reason the whole thing out. 

Sonny. 
(Shivers and rises.) 
That would be terrible! Terrible! 

McCoRD. 
(Pounds on the table emphatically and rises.) 
It's the right way. It's the way I was raised. 

Sonny. 
(Absently.) 
Poor baby! Still yelling! 



Act I SONNY 51 

McCoRD. 
What's the idea? 

Sonny. 
I didn't mean to think out loud, but for a moment 
I could just see you lying on your tummy and swear- 
ing little baby damns. 

McCoRD. 
(Grinning.) 
I guess I did, too. (Takes her hand.) When are 
you going to marry me, Jack.'^ 

Sonny. 
I haven't said that I would. 

McCoRD. 
It is going to be me; isn't it .J' 

Sonny. 

(Irresolutely.) 
I don't know. I — I don't think so. 

McCoRD. 
(Darkening as she withdraws her hand.) 
Who is it.? Harry.? 

Sonny. 
It isn't anybody — yet. It's an awfully important 
thing — marriage is. 

McCoRD. 
Certainly! It's an important step in anybody's 
life. 

Sonny. 
But more so in my particular case than you could 
possibly imagine. You see, I have a reason for get- 
ting married. 



52 SONNY Act I 

McCoRD. 
What is it? 

Sonny. 
(S of til/.) 
I will never tell it except to the right man. 

Enter Helm, up right. 

Helm. 
Am I interrupting? I hope I am." 

Sonny. 
(Crossing to him as he comes down center.) 
We were just having a little heart-to-heart talk. 

Helm. 

{Brightly.) 
And now it is my turn. {Signijicantly, to Mc- 
CoRD.) Don't stand on ceremony, old man, 

McCoRD. 
{Nettled at the interruption and standing his 
ground stubbornly.) 
Thanks! I shan't. Nobody enjoys listening to a 
brilliant conversation any more than I do. 

Sonny. 
We really don't need a chaperon. Bob. 

McCoRD. 
You might. I'm not so sure of these artist fellows. 

Sonny. 
But he's a writer — not an artist. There's a big 
difference. 

McCoRD. 

What? 



Act I SONNY 63 

Sonny. 
( Vaguely. ) 
Why, an artist has lon^ hair. 

Helm. 

Let the barber decide upon your career. What 
could be simpler.? Shall we proceed from there.? 

Sonny. 
{Looking at McCord.) 
How can we.? We might say something Bob 
wouldn't like. 

McCoRD. 
{Crossing to settle himself on the divan with a news- 
paper. ) 
Don't mind me. I'll have a look at the paper. 
Pretend I'm not here. (Helm picks up Sonny's 
hand and kisses it loudly. McCord dodges out 
angrily from behind paper. ) Hey ! 

Helm. 
{Ignoring him.) 
Alone at last! 

Sonny. 
{Mischievously . ) 
We mustn't talk about Bob, now that he's gone. 
It wouldn't be nice. 

Helm. 

Neither nice nor interesting. Shall we speak of me.? 

Sonny. 
Let's do. Tell me all about yourself. 

{They sit at the table.) 



54 SONNY Act I 

Helm. 
I am a romanticist, pure and simple. 

McCoRD. 
{From behind the paper.) 
Especially simple. 

Helm. 
I deal solely in that which is precious in life — 
pearls of knowledge, rubies and jades of adventure, 
pale moonstones of introspection, exquisite little 
cameos of love strung on a golden thread of under- 
standing. 

McCoRD. 

{In the voice of an auctioneer.) 
What am I offered for the lot.'' 

Helm. 
How noisy our secluded spot has become ! Is there 
no way to be free of the rabble .'^ 

Sonny. 
I'm afraid our only hope is the dinner gong. 

Helm. 
No matter! Will you marry me, Jack? I am 
serious, really. 

Sonny. 
{Embarrassed.) 
It doesn't seem to be quite the right time to ask 
me that. 

Helm. 
When will be the right time, then? What do you 
think I came all the way out here for? To see you 
in your native West where there is still a breath of 



Act I SONNY 55 

romance left ; that's why. I didn't make the trip be- 
cause I was interested in farms as McCord did. 

Sonny. 
Please ! You mustn't. 

Helm. 

What's the matter? 

Sonny. 
Don't propose to me like this, on — a crowded 
business corner. 

And why not? 



Helm. 



McCoRD. 

(Jumping to his feet and throwing the paper dozen.) 
I'll tell you why not. It's damned indecent; that's 
what it is ! We were having a nice clean conversa- 
tion about children when you butted in. 

Helm. 
(Shuddering.) 
Children! My God! 

Sonny. 
(Rising as Helm rises.) 
You don't mean to say that you don't like children, 
Harry? 

Helm. 

Can you imagine a man trying to write with a lot 
of — ? Don't ask me. (He sees Sonny's disap- 
pointed expression.) I'm — I'm sorry I said that. 



56 SONNY Act I 

Sonny. 
{Absently.) 
So am I. There doesn't seem to be anybody l(»ft 
now. 

Helm. 

{Mystified,) 
What.? 

Sonny. 

{Embarrassed.) 
Oh! {To hide her confusion she goes up to center 
and switches on the lights, since the stage has become 
gradually darker for the past five minutes.) 

Enter Bud, down right. 

Bud. 

Any gent present who wants to churn his oit i: par- 
ticular brand of cocktail? 

McCoRD. 
Me! I've got the world beat! Has it got a kick? 
Oh, boy ! Dynamite simply isn't in it. Come along, 
and I'll tell you how I do it — {He follows Bud off 
down right, talking.) 

Helm. 
{Seriously.) 
I meant what I said. Jack. 

Sonny. 
About children? 

Helm, 
About marrying me. 



Act I SONNY 57 

Sonny. 
I'm afraid it's too late to talk about that now. 

Helm. 
I don't understand you. 

Sonny. 
(Wistfully/.) 
Nobody does. Nobody but Bud. 

Helm. 

Haven't you any romance in you? You should 
have. 

Sonny. 
Yes; I should have. My father was the bravest 
man in California. I love brave men. 

Helm. 

(Taking her hands.) 
Then let me be the one to fight your battles, Jack. 
There is no danger I would not face for you — no 
difficulty I could not surmount with you as the in- 
centive. Come with me, dear, and we will spend our 
lives looking for adventure. 

Sonny. 

{Absently.) 

We couldn't very well travel around with six — 

Helm. 
Six.? There would be only two of us. Just we 
two. 

Sonny. 
{Drawing away.) 
I don't think you'd better wait for me, Harry. 
I'm going to be awfully busy for the next few years. 



58 SONNY Act I 

Enter Caroline, down left. 

Caroline. 
* You should have rested, Jacqueline. 

Sonny. 

{Meeting her at center.) 

I'm truly not tired, and it's almost dinner time. 

Caroline. 
Have the trunks come? 

Sonny. 
Not yet. Will you phone the station, Harry? 
(Helm crosses and picks up the telephone receiver.) 
Do you like my home, Carrie? (Caroline piits her 
arms around Sonny and nods affectionately.) And 
Bud? And Ping? 

Caroline. 
{Indignantly.) 
What a ridiculous name! Had his parents no 
sense of humor? 

Helm. 

{Who has been vainly trying to get the telephone 
operator.) 
Hello ! Hello 

Sonny. 
{To Caroline.) 
Ping will be crazy about you. Don't flirt with 
him. He's such an innocent old dear. 

Caroline. 
I have yet to see an innocent man, and if I did, 
I wouldn't look at him. 



Act I SONNY 59 

Helm. 

{Speaking into mouthpiece.) 
Hello! {To the others.) Say, what the dickens 
is the matter with this thing? 

Sonny. 
{Crossing to table near him.) 
Won't it work.? 

Helm. 
I can't hear anything but a lot of weird noises. 
It sounds like {listens intently) — like a fight. 

Sonny. 
{Startled.) 
A fight! 

She goes up stage to look out of the center door, 
as McCoRD, Bud, and Tucker enter, down right, 
McCoRD carryliig a cocktail shaker, and Bud and 
Tucker glasses on a tray. 

Bud. 

{Admiringly.) 
This boy here has sure got a graceful arm move- 
ment. 

McCoRD. 
{Crossing to table, where he pours the cocktails.) 
Gather round me, little playmates. I am about 
to let some sunshine into your sad lives. 

Tucker. 
I always had an idee that cocktails was baby food, 
but I seen what went into this one. 



60 SONNY Act I 

Bud. 

What's it apt to do to a shy, retirin' nature like 
mine ? 

McCoRD. 
Ask Helm. 

Helm. 

After two of these, you will understand the im- 
petuous mule as you never did before. 

(Tucker crosses to Sonny and Caroline, who 
are near the divan and offers them a glass apiece. 
Sonny shakes her head in refusal.) 

Tucker. 
(To Caroline.) 
Does the sight of strong liquor frighten you, 
ma'am.? 

Caroline. 
(Accepting a glass.) 
I am a fearless woman. 

Helm. 

(Raising his glass in a toast.) 

To the West — the gay old land of adventure! 

McCoRD. 

And opportunity ! 

(As they laugh and drink, Francelia's frightened 
voice is heard off center.) 

Francelia. 
(Calling.) 
Sefiors ! Senor Williams ! 



Act I SONNY 61 

She enters, up center, coming from left, disheveled 
and xvith her skirt torn. 

Bud. 

'Hullo! What's the row, Francelia? 

Francelia. 
{Coming down center.) 
El Malo! El Malo is in the town. 

Tucker. 
{Roaring.) 
What! 

.{There is a general movement of consternation.) 

Francelia. 
{Hurriedly.) 
I am there, and I see with my own eyes. Feefty, 
maybe hundred men ! They ride down the street like 
beeg stampede. Nobody know what ees those gun 
shooting for until they see all those Mexicanos rac- 
ing down the street in cloud of dust. Then every- 
body hide. Me, I spur that buckskin most terrible 
and don't look back. Eef he come this way, seiiors, 
what we going to do.'' 

McCoRD. 
Not El Malo ! Not the bandit we've been reading 
about ? 

Helm. 
{Collapsing, panic-stricken.) 
Oh, my God ! 

Tucker. 
Where's Bennett, the marshal? 



62 SONNY Act I 

Francelia. 
At the rodeo in Viega City, senor. 

Tucker. 
(Grimli/.) 
Yah! I thought so. 

Francelia. 
(To Bud.) 
What we going to do, senor? 

Bud. 

{Slowly.) 
I — don't know. How many horses can we get, 
Francelia.'' 

Sonny. 
(Amazed.) 
You're not going to run away.? 

Bud. 

Frank can take 3^ou two girls on to the city. 
We'll stay here and look after the house. 

Sonny. 
No. I'll slay here with you, Bud. 

Tucker. 
(To Caroline.) 
How about you, ma'am? 

Caroline. 
(Disdainfully.) 
I'll stay, too. The man doesn't live that I'm 
afraid of. 

Tucker. 
Good! I reckon me and Gladys kin take care of 
you. I'll just step out and take a look-see, Bud. 



Act I SONNY 63 

He goes up to center door and exits. A shot is fired, 
off center. He reenters hastily. 

Tucker. 
' Turn out them lights. 

(Bud switches off the lights, and he and Tucker 
bar the center door and the right window blind. 
McCoRD a7id Helm do the same at the left window. 
The stage is in darkness except for the light coming 
through the open door down right.) 

Bud. 

{At right window, peering through blind.) 
They've beat us to it, Ping. They've cut us off. 
Look at 'em. They're circlin' around like a pack of 
wolves. 

Tucker. 
Anybody got a gun but me.? 

McCoRD. 
I have, in my suit case. Have you got one, Harry.? 

Helm. 
( Whimpering. ) 
No! Who the devil would expect anything like 
this to happen in this civilized day and age.? 

Bud. 

Ping, you better hold down the north side of the 
house. The boys kin take the south end, and I'll 
watch the door here. Git busy. No tellin' when 
they'll make a dash for us. 

(McCoRD and Helm go out, up right.) 



64 SONNY Act I 

Caroline. 
{Coming up to Tucker.) 
Shall I put on a kettle of water.? I can't shoot, 
but I can try my hand at scalding. 

Tucker. 
{Sentimentally. ) 
Ma'am, when this cruel war is over — 

Caroline. 
You had better fight first and talk later. 

Tucker. 
{Bluntly.) 
Then quit taggin' me around. This is a man's 
game, not a pink tea. 

Caroline. 

{Furiously.) 

You are perfectly right. {Ewit, down right.) 

Tucker. 
{Crossing to up left.) 
You all right there, Bud.? 

Bud. 

{At center door.) 
Yeh! 

Tucker. 
.Where's Sonny.? 

Sonny. 
{At left window.) 
I'm here with Bud. 

Tucker. 
I reckon, Bud, you better send Francelia around 
to close up the back of the house. 



I 



Act I SONNY 66 

Bud. 
Francelia ! 

Francelia. 
Si, senor! 

(Exit Tucker, up left. Francelia crosses and goes 
outf down right. There is a short pause.) 

Bud. 

(Gentli/.) 
You afraid, Sonny? 

Sonny. 
Not with you. You're not afraid; are you, Bud? 
(Bud laughs.) You'd never be afraid; would you. 
Bud? 

Bud. 

Not for myself. Why, honey? 

Sonny. 
(Meditativeli/.) 
You know what I told you this afternoon about 
getting married. I was just thinking — you'd make 
a pretty good father yourself! 

Curtain 



I 



SONNY 



Second Act 
Scene: Same as in Act I. 

At rise of curtain^ Bud is seated left of table play- 
ing a game of solitaire. Sonny is up stage at win- 
dow at center rights peering through a crack in the 
blinds. The room is in half light. A flood of light 
comes through the kitchen door down rights and 
there is a lighted candle on the table by Bud. He 
stops his game, looks at his watch, and about the 
room as if making despairing calculations. His 
glance comes to rest on Sonny with anxious tender- 
ness. When he speaks, however, it is in the lightest 
of tones. 

Bud. 

Ain't you goin' to help me with this here game, 
honey? I might cheat myself if you ain't here to 
watch me. 

Sonny. 
How can you play solitaire when El Malo and his 
men are apt to rush us at any minute.? 

Bud. 

They been quiet for a couple of hours now. How 
do you know they ain't changed their mind and gone 
on away.? 

67 



68 SONNY Act II 

Sonny. 
I can see them. They've built little camp fires in 
a circle all around us. 

Bud. 

(Casually,) 
Must be a right pretty sight. I'll go and look 
when I git through here. (He studies his game, ab- 
sorbed.) Reckon I'm stuck. Yes, sir-; they ain't a 
play. Well, that makes just seventeen hundred and 
four dollars I owe myself. Hold on! I wonder if I 
durst do that.? 

Sonny. 
(Coming down to him.) 
What.? 

Bud. 

Put that there four over here and git out my five 
of hearts. 

Sonny. 
(Sitting at table.) 
Of course you can. That will give you the six of 
clubs, too. 

Bud. 

(Delighted.) 
Dog-gone me if I don't believe that will win the 
game for us, that one move! And here I was afraid 
to take it on my own responsibility without bein' ad- 
vised proper. 

Sonny. 
(Smiling.) 
You old fraud ! 



Act II SONNY 69 

Bud. 

(Innocently,) 
What's the matter? 

Sonny. 
You're just doing this to get me interested so I'll 
forget how scared I am. 

Bud. 

(Apparently astonished.) 
Scared, honey? Shucks! What of? 

Sonny. 
They say that Mexicans are pretty terrible when 
it comes to women. 

Bud. 

You kin leave out the word "pretty." The only 
greaser I ever seen that looked pretty to me, he was 
a lavaliere on a rope necklace. 

Sonny. 
(With a sudden outburst.) 
I want to be brave. Bud ! I want to be and I'm — 
I'm a coward! 

Bud. 

You ain't a coward, Son. They ain't another girl 
I know of that'd be as game as you've been to-night. 
You ain't turned a hair up to now, and you're only 
doin' this because you ain't slept fer three or four 
nights, you said. 

Sonny. 

(Burying her face in her arms.) 

I want to be brave like my father. (Weeps.) 



70 SONNY Act II 

(A peculiar expression comes over Bud's face. He 
leans over and pats her shoulder.) 

Bud. 
Reckon if he was alive it'd hurt him powerful to 
see jou cry. 

Sonny. 
{Drying her eyes.) 
I mustn't, then. Talk to me about him for a 
while, and that will help me more than anything. 
Was he tall.? 

Bud. 

Was he ! He must of been all of six feet three and 
a half, and with all that size he was gentle as a lamb. 

Sonny. 
But not too gentle. He could fight; couldn't he.? 

Bud. 
Not until he was provoked to a fairly obnoxious 
degree, and then ! 

Sonny. 
{Nodding, satisfied.) 
Then! Did he have any faults.? 

Bud. 
Le's see: Seems strange but I can't remember a 
single one. 

Sonny. 
He didn't drink; did he.? 

Bud. 

{Exploding,) 
No! 



Act II SONNY 71 

Sonny. 
Nor gamble? 

Bud. 
Only when backed into a corner, you might say. 

Sonny. 
I wouldn't mind that, because I do like bridge my- 
self. What a dear he was! What a wise, noble, 
splendid man he was! (She muses happily.) He 
must have been kind and sweet to my mother. (Bud 
rises abruptly, but Sonny is too much engrossed in 
her own thoughts to notice him.) And so were you. 

Bud. 
( Huskily. ) 
She was the only mother I ever knowed. 

Sonny. 
(Softly.) 
And she loved you, of course. I— I love you, too. 
But you don't love me. 

Bud. 

How do you know I don't.? 

Sonny. 
You'd say so if you did. (Bud moves away rest- 
lessly.) I know why you don't: It's because I'm a 
coward. 

Bud. 

(Roughly.) 
God A'mighty, Son ! Don't drive me crazy.^ I ve 
loved you ever snice you was a foot high holdin' onto 
my finger and tryin' to learn how to walk. I love 
you better then anything in heaven or on earth. 



72 SONNY Act II 

Sonny. 
(Rising.) 
How was I to know if jou didn't tell me? 

Bud. 
I didn't have the right to tell you. I ain't got 
it now. I can't ask you to marry me, honey. 

Sonny. 
Why not.f^ Is there — another woma-n.? 

Bud. 

Lord, no ! They ain't ever been any woman fer 
me but you, honey. 

Sonny. 
Then what is it, Bud? Something you did? (He 
nods his head miserably.) When? (There is no re- 
sponse.) A long time ago? (He nods hesitating.) 
I can't believe it was so terrible, because I know how 
brave and how good you are. 

Bud. 
I ain't brave, and I ain't good. 

Sonny. 
My father was a just man. Did he forgive you? 

Bud. 
(After a long struggle with himself.) 
He didn't forgive me. No. (Sonny backs away 
from him, hardening.) 

McCoRD enters, up right, 

McCoRD. 
No matter what happens, I'm going to eat. (Bud 
crosses up to look out of wi7idow up center right. 



Act II SONNY 73 

Sonny watches him, disappointed and cynical. Mc- 
CoRD crosses to table.) I feel like an empty ware- 
house in the middle of a desert {he picks up and looks 
into the dry cocktail shaker) — and not a drop of 
rain in sight. 

Sonny. 
(Crossing to down right.) 
Caroline is making coffee. I'll get you some. 

McCoRD. 
Good old Caroline ! I never really appreciated her 
before. I'll say you girls are standing the gaff like 
a couple of soldiers. Haven't you been worrying for 
fear these greasers would break in and stick a knife 
into you.? 

Sonny. 
{Contemptuously.) 
I'm not afraid of physical pain. Who cares if it's 
just their body that's stabbed through and throughj* 
{Exit, down right.) 

McCoRD. 
{Looking after her, then to Bud.) 
Is there any insanity in her family .^^ 

Bud. 

Not unless she inherits the Saturday night kind 
from her pa. He used to have some right smart 
fights with a pink elephant that played the banjo. 

McCoRD. 
Did it scare him.? 

Bud. 

He didn't mind the elephant, but he hated musjc, 



1 



74 SONNY Act II 

McCoRD. 
I'll bet he was an old son of a gun. (He sits at 
right of table.) What is the matter with Jack? 
Is the strain too much for her? 

Bud. 

I reckon it always has been, pore kid ! Ever since 
she was a baby she's had a nightmare that somebody 
was chokin' her. It comes and goes regular, and in 
between times she's either trying to git over the last 
one or gettin' ready to be afraid of the next one. 

McCoRD. 
(Interested.) 
That's quite extraordinary. You've had doctors, 
of course? 

Bud. 

Heaps of 'em, but they ain't helped her none. 

McCoRD. 
Have you ever tried nerve specialists? 

Bud. 

Yeh ! They's one back east treatin' her now. 

McCoRD. 
Is he making any headway? 

Bud. 

No'm; he ain't. 

McCoRD. 
If he's a competent man he ought to be able to do 
something. 



Act II SONNY 



75 



Bud. 

{Slowly, looking off down right.) 
I don't know about that. I reckon there ain't no 
cure for the truth. 



McCoRD. 
{Rising, astounded.) 
You don't mean to say some one actually did choke 



her? 



Bud. 

Not her; her ma. Her mother. Jack seen it 
done with her own eyes when she was three years old. 

McCoRD. 
And doesn't remember it.? 

Bud. 

( Grimly. ) 
She remembers it, all right! 

McCoRD. 
But not as a substantial fact. Why don't you tell 
her.? 

Bud. 
{Painfully. ) 
I can't. 

McCoRD. 
Why not. 

Bud. 

{Turns away.) 
I can't ! 



76 SONNY Act II 

McCoRD. 

(Coldli/.) 
Excuse me for being curious. It strikes me if you 
really wanted to help the girl, that would be the 
thing to do. You owe it to her to explain what you 
know of the case. 

Bud. 

{Awkwardly.) 
She'd hate me if she knew. 

McCoRD. 
Why? Was it — you.? 

Bud. 

{Blazing out at him.) 
By God, no ! Do you think I'd lay my hands on a 
woman who was like a mother to me.'' 

McCoRD. 

{Stepping hack hastily.) 
That's all right — quite right. Just a suggestion 
on my part. I was merely trying to do a little good. 
Now listen to me, Williams, and don't burst a blood 
vessel unnecessarily. 

Bud. 

{Resentfully.) 
I'm a-listenin'. 

McCoRD. 
I will speak plainly for Jack's sake. I take it you 
are fond of her. 

Bud. 

{Quietly.) 
Some ! 



Act II SONNY 77 

McCoRD. 
Not as fond of her as I am, but still you are fond 
of her, and you want her cured of this. 

Bud. 

I'd give my left leg if things hadn't happened like 
they did. 

McCoRD. 
But they did happen. Now what you must do, and 
do right away, is to tell out and out just what took 
place and why. That is the first step. 

Bud. 
I'm afraid it would mighty near kill her if she 
knew who did it. 

McCoRD. 
(Impatiently.) 
In the name of God, why? Who was it that 
choked her mother.? 

Bud. 
Her own father. 

McCoRD. 
(After an astonished whistle.) 
What did the mother do.? 

Bud. 

All she knew how to do, pore little lady! She 
died a week later from the shock. 
McCoRD. 
And— he.? 

Bud. 

(Grimly.) 
Didn't live quite that long. 



78 SONNY Act II 

McCoRD. 

(After a pause.) 
That is the most remarkable story I ever heard. 

Bud. 
It ain't fer Sonny to hear. 

McCoRD. 
Perhaps you're right. This present affair is apt 
to have a bad effect on her. What do you think? 

Bud. 

(Desperately.) 
I don't dare to think. 

McCoRD. 
I say, are we in any very great danger.? 

Bud. 

No ; no more than Daniel was, when they throwed 
him in the lion's front yard. 

McCoRD. 
Is it as bad as that? We should do something. 

Bud. 
Just what would you suggest.? 

McCoRD. 
It's simple enough. Let's get away from here. 

Bud. 
They's close onto a hundred greasers around this 
house. 

McCoRD. 
Telephone for help. 



Act II SONNY 79 

Bud. 

They've smashed the line office at Calico. 
McCoRD. 
(After a thoughtful pause.) 
I'd better act while I've still got an appetite. 
(Exit^ down right. Bud goes up stage and peers 
through the windoxv shade.) 

Helm. 
{Despairingly, off up right.) 
My God! 

Bud turns quickly. Helm enters, up right, dishev- 
eled and trembling. 

Helm. 

(Crosses at center to Bud.) 
They've got him. 

Bud. 

Who.? 

Helm. 
One minute I saw him alive and well, and the next 
— I — I must have dozed off for a while, and when I 
awoke he was gone ! 

Bud. 

Who's this? Somebody you was watchin'? 

Helm. 
I tell you, I was right in the room with him. He's 
gone ! 

Bud. 
You don't mean McCord? 



80 SONNY Act II 

Helm. 

Yes, yes ! McCord ! The chap who came with me. 

Bud. 

Ain't that pitiful? 

Helm. 

(Collapsing on divan.) 
What a night! 

Bud. 

'Tain't over yet. 

Helm. 

(Looking haggard.) 
Poor old Bob! The chances are he became des- 
perate and ventured forth. I didn't think he had it 
in him. 

Bud. 

He was pretty empty the last time I seen him. 

Helm. 

(Disconsolately.) 
Empty ! Everything is empty. Life is. I wish 
I had a drink. 

Bud. 

There's a flask in this here drawer some place. 
(He opens table drawer at left center and takes out 
a flask of whisky.) I put it here in a case — 

Helm. 

(Taking the flask.) 
In case I needed it. Thanks. (Takes a drink.) 



Act II SONNY 81 

Bud. 
{Dryly.) 
We aim to apprehend our guests. 

Helm. 
{Dejectedly.) 
What will they do to him? I can imagine the most 
horrible tortures — hideous ghastly things! I wrote 
a story about them once. I didn't think at the time 
that McCord — ! My God! If I only had warned 
him, he might have been saved from this. 

McCoRD appears in doorway, down right, carrying a 
cup of coffee and a huge sandwich. 

Helm. 

You ! {Looks at Bud, then at McCord, then takes 
another drink.) 

McCoRD. 
{With his mouth full of sandwich.) 
Come on in. The water's fine. 

Helm. 

{Speechless for a minute, then drops on divan.) 
What the devil do you mean by running away and 
leaving me alone in there.'' 

McCoRD. 
How did I know you were going to wake up and 
cry.? 

Bud. 
I give him his bottle. 

Helm. 
{Glaring at both of them.) 
I don't doubt that both of you have an excellent 



82 SONNY Act II 

sense of humor, but this is hardly the time to be 
funny. 

McCoRD. 
Aw, come on in and get a cup of hot coffee. That 
will bring your dimples back. 

Helm. 

(Sulkily.) 
I don't want anything. 

McCoRD. 
It may be the last call from the diner. 

Helm. 

Don't let me keep you from adding a few pounds 
to your weight. 

McCoRD. 
Don't worry. They say that running is good for 
the figure. {Exit, down right.) 

Helm. 

(Gets the meaning of McCord's words.) 
Ru — running! Oh! (Takes another drink, then 
hands flask to Bun, goes up and peers out of win- 
dow at center right.) 

Bud. 

(Putting flask on table at center right.) 
Nice out, ain't it.? 

Helm. 
(Grumbling.) 
I don't see anything nice about it. 

Bud. 
Why, I should think this kind of a night would 
just suit you. 



Act II SONNY 83 

Helm. 

Why? 

Bud. 
Oh ! It's kinda still and mysterious and romantic. 

Helm. 
What do you know about romance.? 

Bud. 
(MeekiT/.) 
Nothin'. I'm just an ordinary white man. 

Helm. 
(In a superior tone.) 
Do you ever read books.? 

Bud. 
I had one once about a drawbridge and crossin' a 
moat horseback, but I couldn't figger how you could 
cross a moat horseback when it was somethin' you'd 
ought to pluck out of your brother's eye. 

Helm. 
(Aloud to himself.) 
Unbelievable ! 

Bud. 

It sure was. This here would make a nice story, 
though. 

Helm. 
( Uneasily. ) 
There is no plot to this. It's merely an awkward 
situation. 

Bud. 

Couldn't you call it "Help Wanted".? 



84 SONNY Act II 

Helm. 

{Exasperated.) 
The worst of it all is that we are doing absolutely 
nothing about it. Action is what we want. Action 
and initiative. Can't we patch up a truce .^^ 

Bud. 

They ain't one about the house. I've always been 
healthy myself. 

Helm. 

{Angrily.) 

You either cannot or will not understand me. 

Bud. 

Yes ; I do. You're scared. 

Helm. 

{Helplessly.) 
By Jove! I wonder if I am. 

Bud. 

{Not unkindly, as he hands Helm the -flask.) 
S waller another jolt of this and go on back to bed. 

(Helm takes drink and hands flask back.) I'll wake 

you when the time comes. 

(Helm grabs the flask again, takes two big drinks, 
hands it back with much ceremony, and crosses to 
divan. ) 

Helm. 
{Very superior.) 
You are utterly mistaken, sir. I am not afraid of 
anything. 



i 



Act II SONNY 86 

Bud. 

{Examining -flask admiringly, crosses to table at 
left.) 
This here must be great stuff. 

Helm. 

{Sitting on right end of divan.) 
But I'm tired, I'm devilish tired. {Drops his face 
in his hands.) 

As Bud returns flask to drawer. Sonny enters, down 
right, excitedly. 

Sonny. 
Bud! 

Bud. 

{Crosses to center,) 
What's up.? 

Sonny. 
{Crosses to Bud.) 
It's all right. They won't bother us for a while. 
They're waiting for him to come. 

Bud. 

Who.? El Malo.? 

Sonny. 
Yes. He hasn't got here yet. 

Bud. 
How did you find that out.? 

Sonny. 
Francelia crawled over to their camp and listened 
to the men as they lay around the fire talking. 



86 SONNY Act II 

Bud. 

Why ain't El Malo with them? 

Sonny. 
She couldn't find that out. But she says we don't 
have to worry as long as he keeps away. The men 
are so afraid of him that they don't dare make a 
move unless he says so. 

Bud. 

Well, that's that. We got a minute longer to 
breathe safe. 

(Helm groans. Sonny looks at Bud, who panto- 
mimes that Helm is frightened and, going up to cen- 
ter, switches on lights. Sonny crosses to Helm and 
sits on his left. The lights go full up on cue.) 

SoNNY; 

It isn't a very restful night; is it, Harry.? 

Helm. 
I got a little sleep. 

, Sonny. 

Sleep ! I thought you were on guard. 

Bud. 
(Crossing down center.) 
They divided the work even. Helm slept and Mc- 
Cord watched. 

Helm. 
There wasn't anything worth watching. I'm not 
interested in a band of dirty Mexicans. 

Bud. 
(At center left.) 
They may grow on you as the time passes. 



Act II SONNY 87 

Sonny. 
{Gently.) 
You mustn't be a coward, like me, Harry. 

Helm. 
{Flaring up.) 
What! 

Sonny. 
{Remorsefully. ) 
Oh! I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to say 
that. Did I, Bud? 

Bud. 

{Crossing to them.) 
I don't think you did, Son. I been kinda raggin* 
him myself when I hadn't orter. 

Sonny. 
{Putting a hand on Helm's.) 
You see, we're both sorry, Harry. 

Helm. 
I'm sure I don't care what happens. 

Sonny. 
Of course you don't. There isn't any real danger. 
It's just fun. 

Helm. 
{Brightening.) 
I suppose you get this sort of thing every day 
out here? What are they trying to do? Have a 
little sport with us? 

Sonny. 
That's all. They — they are very playful; aren't 
they, Bud? 



88 SONNY Act II 

Bud. 

(Grimly.) 
Reg'lar cut-ups. (Goes up to window at center 
left.) 

Helm. 
(Relieved.) 
After all, I might get a story out of this. 

Sonny. 
(Encouragingly. ) 
It would be so different from your other work. 
Maybe the publishers would accept it. 

Helm. 
A young author, say — a young author barricades 
himself in a lonely house against a thousand Mexi- 
cans. No water, no food — 

Sonny. 
What about that roast that Chong left? 

Helm. 
It's not necessary to mention the roast. That's 
a mere detail. 

Bud. 
(Down center left.) 
It's bone by this time, anyway. McCord's in the 
kitchen. 

Helm. 
(Rising.) 
By Jove! That reminds me: I haven't eaten since 
yesterday. 

Bud. 

You better hurry. 



Act II SONNY 89 

Helm. 
Knowing Bob the way I do, I agree with you. 

Francelia enters, down right, and crosses di- 
rectly to Bud. The attention of Bud and Sonny 
becomes centered on Francelia to the exclusion of 
Helm. As Helm continues speaking. Bud speaks 
through and over his line. 

Helm. 
If you will excuse me I will just see how much dam- 
age he has done. 

Bud. 
(Simultaneously/. ) 
Good girl, Francelia! How'd you git over there 
'thout 'em seein' 3^ou leave the house? 

(Helm glares at them and exit, doivn right. Sonny 
rises after Francelia crosses to center.) 

Francelia. 
By the arroyo, senor. I crawl flat, like snake, till 
I come to the corral, and — what you think? — I find 
all our horses still there. They have not take as 
much as one horse from us. 

Bud. 

That's funny ! 

Sonny, 

Maybe they had plenty. 

Bud. 

That word ain't in the greaser language. Go on, 
Frank. 



90 SONNY Act II 

Francelia. 
From there I crawl easy, easy, over to one of those 
camp fires, close, but not too close; and I open the 
ear ver' wide. 

Bud. 

Yeh? 

Francelia. 
After a while one say, "Where is he?" And an- 
other say (she shrugs her shoulders eloquently^ — 
Then another one he say, "We do our part. Why 
he don't come to finish up?" And another one say — 
{She repeats the shrug.) 

Bud. 

Wait. I want Ping to hear this. (Crosses to 
door up left and calls.) Ping, come here a minute. 

Sonny. 
What does it all mean? 

Francelia answers with another shrug. Tucker 
enters, up left, crosses down left, and throws his gun 
on table. 

Tucker. 
I ain't sure this here hand will ever be normal 
again. I've held Gladys for six straight hours now. 

Bud. 

(Crossing down center left.) 
I want you to hear this, Ping. Francelia has been 
over to their camp. 

Tucker. 
(Eyeing Francelia suspiciously.) 
As friend or enemy? 



I 



Act II SONNY 91 

Bud. 
She jest left a callin' card an' drove on away. 

Sonny. 
Don't make fun of her. She's done a very brave 
thing. 

(Francelia beams at her gratefully and makes a 
slight how. Bud slaps her on the shoulder and 
crosses up center right.) 

Tucker. 
{Crossing to Francelia.) 
Did you find out anything, Francelia .?* 

Francelia. 
Si, sefior. 

Tucker. 
What was it.? 

Francelia. 
They wait for El Malo. 

(Bud crosses down left,) 

Tucker. 
What! Ain't he with them.? 

Francelia. 
Not yet, senor. It is for that they do not attack 
us more quick and take this rancho. 

Tucker. 
What, makes you think they got that pretty idea? 

Francelia. 
I hear them talk. El Malo going to take this 
place for himself. He always like this place. He 



92 SONNY Act II 

going to take it. He ride from El Puerto, three 
hundred mile, just ior capture this one house. 

Sonny. 
(At center right.) 
Did they say that ? 

Francelia. 
I do not like to tell you those bad news, senorita, 
but it is all true. El Malo want only this one place; 
when he get it he going to live here always. 

Sonny. 
(Goes to Bud, down left.) 
Why — should he want just this particular ranch.? 

Bud. 
Don't you worry. Son. He ain't goin' to git it. 

Sonny. 
But he must have some reason for wanting it. 

Bud. 

Likely because it's handy to the border, an' he's 
got his eye on all our bosses. 

Tucker. 
(At center, fuming.) 
And they ain't a town within a day's ride that 
could put up a he-fight ! O'nery coyote ! Don't they 
know where El Malo is.^^ 

Francelia. 
(At center right.) 
No, senor, only that he is on the way. He is com- 
ing. He be here maybe ver' soon now, and so soon 
as he arrives they goin' say, "bing, bing, bing!" an' 
shoot us all to hell. 



Act II SONNY 



Tucker. 
(Makes a restless turn and returns, bursting out ex- 
ploswely, as he pauses at center.) 
Where's that fool Bennett? Why ain't somebody 
on the job that kin handle a thing like this? I ain't 
the marshal now. I ain't got any authority. If I 
had, I'd go after this measly greaser and git him, 
alive or dead — or an invalid. I ain't afraid of him! 
He needn't think I am. If he had a whole army back 
of him, I'd git him just the same. But I ain't got 
the right to do it now. My hands are tied, damn it ! 

Bud. 

{Crossing to Tucker at center.) 
Don't go settin' off all your firecrackers to oncet, 
Ping. 

Tucker. 
{Roaring.) 
What in everlasting brimstone are we goin' to do 
about it? 

Bud. 

Stick here an' see it through, I reckon. We got 
these strange folks to look after. 

Tucker. 
Dog-gone strange, some of 'em! Where are they 
now? Sleeping pretty? 

Bud. 

They're in the kitchen eatin'. Mrs. Dodson made 
some coffee. 

Tucker. 
{Relaxing.) 
I like that woman. {Crosses to center right and 



94 SONNY Act II 

looks off.) As fur as I kin see, she ain't got a hang- 
nail to her character. 

Bud. 

(To Francelia, who is up center right.) 
Francelia, you take Ping's phice on the south side 
while he investigates a few victuals. 

Francelia. 
Si, senor! (She comes to Bub at center.) *Maybe 
if we are lucky, El Malo he wait till morning before 
he move in this house. 

Tucker. 
(At right.) 
We ain't put out the "for rent" sign yet. Fran- 
celia you go to the Commercial Hotel in Calico. 
Get in somehow. I'll meet you there. 

(Francelia shrugs her shoulders and exit, down 
left.) 

Bud. 

(To Sonny, who has been watching intently as she 
sits at table at center left.) 
Son, you got to rest. You're as white as a sack. 

Sonny. 
(Trying to control her fright.) 
I'm all right. I don't mind, really. 

Bud. 

They ain't a mite of danger until dawn, and by 
that time somethin' will turn up to git us out of this 
scrape. Lie down there on the sofa for an hour or 
so; will you? (Lifts her gently from her chair and 
moves toward divan at center right.) 



Act II SONNY 95 

Tucker. 
(At right.) 
Come on, Sonny. You don't want to git yourself 
all wore out before the show starts. 

Sonny. 
(Clinging to Bud in sudden panic at center.) 
I'm afraid, Bud. I'm afraid! 

Bud. 

Sh, honey! Nothin' kin happen to you while me 
an' Ping is around. Do you hear.? 

Sonny. 
Yes ; I hear, but my stomach won't listen. 

Bud. 
Pore tired little fellah! Curl up here and take a 
nap to please Bud. 

Sonny. 
I couldn't sleep. 

Bud. 

(Putting her on divan.) 
You ain't tired, but you could rest, anyway. I 
want you to. I'll sit right down here by you. 

Sonny. 
I'll lie down if you'll go and get something to eat. 

Tucker. 
(At right.) 
That's fair enough. You go on, Bud. I'll hold 
up the traffic on this corner. (Crosses up to window 
at center right.) 



96 SONNY Act II 

Bud. 

I sure could make friends easy with a cup of 
coffee. 

Sonny. 
Go ahead and do it then. (She stretches out full 
length on divan, yawning wearily.) Oh, this is nice! 
I didn't know how tired I was. 

Bud. 

{Arranging pillows under her heady at right,) 
Comfy ? 

Sonny. 
(Sighs,) 
Uh-huh! (Meaning ''yes.'') 

(Sonny's right hand is hanging in an uncomfort- 
able position. He raises it to make her more 
comfortable, hesitates, then kisses it before laying it 
down, starts to go. Sonny raises up to be kissed 
properly. Bud hesitates for the first time to kiss 
her, does kiss her azvkwardly on the forehead, and 
exit, down right. Tucker sees this from up center 
left. Sonny smiles and lies back.) 

Tucker. 
(Crossing down center right.) 
So that's how it is? Wei], well ! Still, it oughtn't 
to surprise me none. Was you. Sonny.? 

Sonny. 
Was I what.? 

Tucker. 
Was you surprised when he asked you.? 



Act II SONNY 



Sonny. 
(Drozcsily.) 
He didn't. I asked him. I'm pretty sure that he 
is the right one. 

Tucker. 
Was you stalkin' down some other wild men, too? 
(Crosses to left of table and sits.) 

Sonny. 
(Yawns.) 
Uh-huh ! The wilder, the better. 

Tucker. 
What fer.? 

Sonny. 
I had six reasons. (She falls asleep.) 

Tucker. 
Lord! Women sure are a language I don't speak. 

(There is no answer but a sigh from Sonny. She is 
asleep. ) 

Caroline enters, down right, with a tray of food 
on which are also plate, knife, fork, spoon, cup, and 
saucer. She crosses to table and sets it in front of 
Tucker. 

Caroline. 

(Bluntly.) 

I hope you won't call this tagging you around. 

Tucker. 
(Indicating Sonny, rises.) 
Sh! 



98 SONNY Act II 

Caroline. 

(Turning to look at her.) 

Poor child ! (She goes up center left and turns 

off the lights, leaving the room lighted only hy the 

candle on the table, then comes dormi center.) Why 

doesn't she go to her own room, where it's quiet? 

Tucker. 
(Standing at left.) 
I reckon, woman-like, she wanted to be under the 
protection of a strong man's eye. 

Caroline. 
Try that coffee and see if it's masculine enough 
for you. 

Tucker. 
(Sits and tastes coffee.) 
Ma'am, that is he-coffee, hell-bent. 

Caroline. 
I am glad there is one thing I can do to please you. 
(She starts toward down right.) 

Tucker. 
(Rising.) 
There's two things. You can set down by me 
here and limber up yore memory. I would admire 
to know more about you and why. 

Caroline. 
(At center.) 
Why.? 

Tucker. 
When, wherefore, and which. 



I 



Act II SONNY 99 

Caroline. 
Are you interested or merely curious? 

Tucker. 
^oth! And you can add lonesome to the heap, 
for good measure. 

Caroline. 

{Hesitates a moment, then sits at center left, while 

he sits at left,) 

I shall begin at the beginning. Although I'm 

known as Mrs. Dodson, I have never been married. 

I am Miss Dodson. 

Tucker. 
(Admiringly,) 
Straight from the hip! 

Caroline. 
Iwas engaged years ago to a person who ran away 
the day before our wedding, and has since never been 
heard of. 

Tucker. 
(Eating,) 
The coward! 

Caroline. 
I don't know what his object was. I loved Winkie 
very much, and I am positive that Winkie loved me. 

Tucker. 
(Putting domn his knife and fork.) 
What did you say this party's name was.? 



100 SONNY Act II 

Caroline. 
(In some confusion.) 
Well — er — Winkie was not his real name. It was 
a pet name I had for him. 

Tucker. 

(Disgustedly.) 

Winkie! Did he have pink-eye or somethin'.'' 

Caroline. 
Oh, no ! But when we went to the drug store on 
Sunday evenings for soda, he always winked at the 
clerk, for some reason. 

Tucker. 
Was it a dry town.? 

Caroline. 
On the contrary, it rained very often. 

Tucker. 
And was you and Winkie on friendly terms up to 
the minute of his mysterious and ignoble departure.? 
(Goes on eating.) 

Caroline. 
Very. We had a few misunderstandings. I was 
not as broad minded then as I am now. But the last 
walk we took together, he was unusually gay. He 
sang and danced for joy right in the street. We 
went back four times more for soda. 

Tucker. 
(Interested.) 
How'd you git him home.? 

Caroline. 
He lived upstairs over the drug store. (Tucker 



Act II SONNY 101 

takes a hasty swallow of coffee.) I never saw him 
again. For business reasons I call myself Mrs. 
Dodson because it has a weightier sound than Miss. 
I am a teacher in a girls' school back east. I think 
that is all. (Sonny stirs. Caroline looks her way 
affectionately.) Jacqueline is my favorite pupil. 
She is the only one besides Winkie who ever called me 
Carrie. 

Tucker. 
Ever^^body else was afraid of you, Carrie. 

Caroline. 
{Seriously.) 
Yes ; I frighten people. I don't mean to, but I do. 
It's just my way. Ping. 

Tucker. 
{Pushing hack his plate.) 
I wish I knew what would frighten off them hel- 
lions out there. 

Caroline. 
Why don't you shoot at them.? 

Tucker. 
{Shaking his head.) 
Carrie, I've seen the time when I would of broken 
my neck to git into a one-sided scrap like this. I 
was used to 'em when I was twenty-five, but I ain't 
now. I've lost my authority and my technique. I'm 
around fifty — past fifty — and I'm free to confess to 
you that slippers looks better to me than shotguns. 
I don't say I ain't goin' to see this thing through, 
and see it through plenty, but I'd just as soon be 
home on that little ranch of mine. 



102 SONNY Act II 

Caroline. 
{Interested.) 
What kind of a stove have you? 

Tucker. 
A regular eight-cylinder range. You kin cook a 
whole sheep in it. 

Caroline. 
Hum ! You must have quite a large house. 

Tucker. 
Yeh. It used to be the dee-po ! There's a switch- 
in' track still runs right up to the back door, and 
I got a little hand car that I kin jump into when it's 
a pleasant day an' I feel like motorin'. 

Caroline. 
And you live there all alone.? 

Tucker. 
(Significantly.) 
I did, Carrie. 

Caroline. 

(Suspiciously.) 

That sounds to me like a proposal of marriage. 

Tucker. 
(Blandly.) 
I had every intention of making just that kind of 
a sound. 

Caroline. 
(Stiffli/.) 
Isn't it rather extraordinary, under the circum- 
stances? You met me for the first time but a few 
hours ago. 



Act II SONNY 103 

Tucker. 
I'm a man of snap judgment, Carrie. I don't 
have to set on a corral fence for six months watchin' 
your disposition, ner pry open your mouth and look 
at your teeth to see how old you are. I like you. I 
like you, thorough, personal, and entire. What 
might be your remark on the subject.? 

Caroline. 
(Rising.) 
I will let you know to-morrow. 

Tucker. 
(Rising and glancing toward window.) 
I hope that won't be too late. One reason I had 
in puttin' the deal through quick was to offer myself 
while I was still architecturally complete. 

Caroline. 
(Holding out her hand.) 
Nothing will happen to you ; I'm sure of that. 

Tucker. 
( Taking her hand. ) 
I'll be right amused if your hunch runs true to 
form. I'm too old to grow much new skin. (She 
starts to go. He detains her by holding on to her 
hand.) And remember, Carrie, that your room in 
the ticket office will always be waitin' fer you. (He 
takes her up to window, up center left.) Come here 
a minute. See that camp fire over there.? That's 
the temporary home of the worst hombre in these 
parts. He's aimin' to move in here to-morrow be- 
fore breakfast. (Caroline moves a step towards 
Sonny, flf the thought.) If h^ gits his wish, there 
won't be another candle on my birthday cake. But 



104 SONNY Act II 

if I git mine, and I find that he has tore up a solitary 
stick of my ranch on the corner of Broadway and 
Eighth, I'm going to spank him so hard that his 
teeth'll rattle. 

Caroline. 
And when you get tired, you can turn him over 
to me. 

(There is a hoarse, inarticulate muttering from 
the divan where Sonny lies. She gives a strangled 
scream and struggles to a sitting posture, her hands 
at her throat, her eyes -fixed in a terrified stare. She 
is half awake and half under the influence of her 
nightmare, ) 



Bud! 



My dear! 



Sonny. 
(Gasping.) 

Caroline. 
(Running to her.) 



Bud runs in from doxrni right, followed hy Mc- 
CoRD and Helm. He crosses to Sonny and sits on 
divan, holding her close. 

Bud. 

Sonny ! Sonny lamb ! 

Sonny. 
(Chokingly.) 
Bud, don't let him kill her ! 

Bud. 
It's only the nightmare, baby ! Wake up ! Bud's 
right here by you. 



Act II 



SONNY ^Q^ 



Sonny. 

She — she — 

Bud. 
I won't let him hurt you, sweetheart. 

Sonny. 
Not me— my mother! My poor little mother! 

Tucker. 
(Shouting in alarm and surprise.) 

Son! 

Sonny. 
{Brought to her senses hut still dazed.) 

Oh! 

(McCoRD, seating himself in armchair up right, 
and Helm, sitting hack of table at center left, are 
interested onlookers during this scene.) 

Bud. 

{Tenderly wiping her forehead with his handker- 
chief. ) 
My pore little girl ! 

Sonny. 

{Leaning wearily against him.) 
It never was so real before, and yet it was dif- 
ferent It's always been me he was after. ihis 
time, it was mother. This time he didn't touch me 
only when he threw me away from her. I was holding 
onto her skirt; he was drunk. He took ^er by the 
throat. Nobody was there to help her— {Breaks 
off and sohs weakly.) 

Bud. 

Honey, listen to me a minute. We're gom' to put 



106 SONNY Act II 

an end to this ol' dream, if we can, but we got to talk 
a little about it first. Try to remember all of it, 
just this once, no matter how it hurts you, and then 
we'll never speak about it again. You say it was 
your mother? 

Sonny. 
Yes! 

Bud. 

How did you know that? 

Sonny. 
Because I loved her, and she loved me. 

Bud. 

What did she look like? 

Sonny. 
(Making an effort to control herself.) 
She had light hair, almost yellow, and brown eyes. 
They were so sad — like she was tired — I — I can't — 
(She breaks down.) 

Bud. 

Go on, honey. It'll soon be over for good. 

Sonny. 
She was wearing a blue dress. It was faded, and 
there was a black breastpin at the neck. Her chin 
would touch it every time she looked down at me. 
She would look at me and then out of the window 
and hold me tight. She was afraid — 

Bud. 

(Prompting her as she stops, shivering,) 
Of what? 



Act II SONNY 107 



Sonny, 



Of him! 



Bud. 

{Exchanging worried glances with Tucker.) 
Who was he.? 

Sonny. 
{Concentrating with all her might in an effort to re- 
member. ) 
I almost remembered, just as jou spoke, but now 
it's gone. 

Bud. 

{Ttelieved.) 
Never mind! What else.? 

Sonny. 

She saw him coming, and she just sort of choked 
Vaj^ down in her throat and stood still — terribly 
still. I did, too. I couldn't move. He came right 
in as if he belonged there and sat down and drank 
out of a bottle he had with him. He spoke to my 
mother, and she didn't answer. He swore at her. 
She never moved. After a while, he walked over to 
her, and he — he hit my hand loose from her skirt, and 
then she screamed, and when she screamed, he said 
something under his breath and hooked his fingers 
like claws and got her by the throat — {She leaps to 
her feet, gasping.) It was that man out there! 
{Points toward window as she clings desperately to 
Bud, who is thoroughly alarmed and questions 
Tucker helplessly with his eyes.) 

Bud. 

It can't be, Son! 



108 SONNY Act II 

Sonny. 
It is El Malo ! I know ! I know who it is now. 
His face is engraved on my memory ! 

Bud. 

{Sternly.) 
Son, that's impossible. The man who choked your 
mother is dead. 

Sonny. 
{Hysterically.) 
No, he's not ! He didn't die. He's alive. {A 
sudden realization strikes her, and she looks at Bud 
with wild eyes.) Then it wasn't a dream! 

Bud. 

{Hesitating.) 
No! 

Sonny. 
It all really happened just as I saw it now.? It 
was my mother he was after, and he killed her! He 
killed her when I was a little girl. 

Bud. 

Yes. 

Sonny. 
Why didn't you tell me that. Bud.? 

Bud. 

'I couldn't, honey. 

Sonny. 
Was that fair.? 

Tucker. 
{After a pause.) 
We thought it best not to. Son — him and me both. 



Act II SONNY 109 

Sonny. 
(Accusingly.) 
And you knew it, too, Ping? 

Tucker. 
' Yeh; I knew it. 

Sonny. 
And — and you didn't tell me? 

Bud. 
We acted fer your own good, Son. 

Sonny. 
For my good ! You've let me go on fighting in the 
dark, day after day, year after year, trying to un- 
derstand and to keep sane through it all, when just 
telling me would have saved me from that. Is it my 
fault I'm a coward? 

Bud. 

(Agonized.) 
Don't, honey, please! 

Tucker. 
Mebbe we was wrong not to tell you. I wonder. 

Bud. 

I'm sorry. Son. I'm as sorry as I can be. I 
reckon you know that, but it's too late to do any- 
thing about it now. 

Sonny. 
(Facing about determinedly.) 
No; it's not. 

Bud. 
What do you want me to do? 



no SONNY Act II 

Sonny. 

(Crosses to him, takes Tucker's gun from the table, 

and offers it to Bud.) 

That man is still alive. (Bud, at left, looks at 

gun, then at Sonny, drops his eyes, and goes past 

her to Tucker, at center, appealing to him.) Bud.^ 

(Bud, at center left, turns slightly hack toward 
Sonny. Tucker speaks quickly in fear that Bud 
may take the gun.) 

Tucker. 
{Quickly.) 
Don't give him that gun. He don't dare take it. 
He's afraid to. 

Sonny. 
Afraid! Only women are afraid. Men aren't — 
not the real ones, and Bud never could be. {She 
holds out the gun.) Take it. Bud! 

Bud. 
I can't. 

Sonny. 
{Quietly and deliberately.) 
You have killed everything in me that ever re- 
spected or loved or believed in anybody, you coward ! 
{Exit, down left, Caroline starts to follow her.) 

Tucker. 
Carrie ! 

(Caroline stops at left,) 

Helm. 
{Under his breath,) 
By Jove! 



Act II SONNY 111 

Tucker. 
(With his hand on Bud's shoulder.) 
You infernal, soft-hearted young idiot ! 

McCoRD. 
' Don't rub it in, for God's sake ! When a man is 
down, let him have half a chance to get up again. 

Tucker. 
(Angrily.) 
He ain't down ! You don't know anything about 
it. (Sits at right of table.) 

Caroline. 
What shall I do? 

Tucker. 
Leave her alone. She'll be all right. 

Helm. 
I shan't forget this night soon. 

McCoRD. 
(Resentfully.) 
I hope you have kept your little notebook handy. 
You've had material enough for a dozen novels. 

Helm. 
(Largely.) 
Yes. I dare say I have. It's not exactly original, 
though. 

McCoRD. 

(Rising and crossing to Bud at center.) 

Williams, I'm sorry we had to stick around in the 

way like this. You've got troubles enough of your 

own, without having to put up with us, but we're here 

and we can't help ourselves. Will you count on me 



112 SONNY Act II 

for — well — anything and everything? I'm a fairly 
good shot. 

Bud. 

(Not looking up.) 
Yeh; I will. Thanks! 

Helm. 
(Rising and crossing to Bud as McCord turns up 
center. ) 
I know there's nothing that I can do. I had in- 
tended — 

Bud. 

(As before.) 
Thanks ! 

McCoRD. 
(Up center right, angrily to Helm.) 
Hey ! Come finish your beauty sleep. 

Bud. 
(Frantically as he crosses to door, down right.) 
I can't stand this. 

Tucker. 
(At center left.) 
Come back, Bud. She's better off by herself, and 
she'll forget what she said in less than an hour. 

Bud. 

I can't bear to have her suffer this way. 

Tucker. 
Leave her alone. Carrie'll go in after a while and 
see how she is. It'll do her good to have a nice 
female cry. 



Act II SONNY 113 



Bud. 

(At left.) 
My pore tired little girl! 

McCoRD. 
(Surprised, at center right.) 
You forgive very easily. 

Bud. 

Fergive what.? 

McCoRD. 
(Crosses to center.) 
What she said to you just now. If she had said 
it to me, I wouldn't be inclined to overlook it in a 
hurry. Why didn't you take her gun when she of- 
fered it to you.? That's what drove her out of her 
head. 

Tucker. 
(Seated at center left, grimly.) 
He wouldn't of took it becuz I wouldn't of let 
him. 

Helm. 
(Crosses to center, disposed to take the whole thing 
lightly. ) 
You wouldn't.? 

Tucker. 
(Rising and speaking slowly and ominously.) 
Yeh ! That's what I said, and I know what I'm 
talkin' about. 

Helm. 
(Crossing to him, amiably.) 
It would be very interesting to me as a writer to 



114 SONNY Act II 

get at a few primary facts. If our friend here is 
not a coward, why should he be afraid of a gun? 

Tucker. 
(At center left.) 
Becuz he shot and killed a man when he was a kid ; 
that's why. And he's under a twenty-year parole 
sentence not to touch a gun under no circumstances. 
That's why ! And Sonny's father was the man that 
he killed, and he dassn't let a chirp out of him about 
it, or she'd never look at him again. That's why ! 
Now what other primary fact do you want me to 
throw and brand fer you.^^ 

Helm. 
(Startled,) 
Indeed.? 

McCoRD. 
(Going a step to Tucker as Helm goes up center.) 
Then Williams got there — ? 

Tucker. 
Just too late to save the mother. Poor kid ! You 
was only sixteen then; wasn't you, Bud.? 

Bud. 

(Muttering, at left.) 
I reckon so. I wasn't too late to git him. 

Tucker. 
(Kindly crosses to Bud and lays a hand on his 
shoulder. ) 
Takfe it easy, old son. Take it eas}^ 

Bud. 

I'm just goin' in to see if she's all right, Ping. I 



Act II SONNY 115 

won't talk to her. I won't saj nothin', {Exit, down 
left,) 

Tucker. 
(After an awkward pause, picking up his gun.) 
' Gladys, you shore have developed some trouble- 
some, cantankerous nature in your old age. 

Enter Bud, dozvn left, in dismay. 

Bud. 

She's gone! (General exclamations.) Her dress 
is layin' on the floor in a heap, an' her ridin' clothes 
that I got out fer her, they're gone, too, and her 
window's open. 

Tucker. 
(At center left.) 
My God! She's makin' fer him! 

McCoRD. 
(At center right.) 
Who.? 

Tucker. 
El Malo! (To Bud.) She's got it into her pore 
little head that he's the party who killed her mother, 
and seein' that neither you ner me would go git him, 
she's hit the trail fer town to meet up with him her 
own self! 

Bud. 

(Crossing to Tucker.) 
Give me that gun ! 

Tucker. 
No, Bud. It's my place to see this thing through. 



116 SONNY Act II 

It's your place to stay here and protect the house 
and Carrie. I'll grab a boss and head Sonny off 
by takin' a straight cut. Do you reckon he'll come 
through Calico .f* 

Bud. 

(At center left.) 
He's got to if he's headed this way. 

Tucker. 
(As he takes hat from peg, down right.) 
Likely he'll stop and try to stick up the hotel. 
I'll wait fer him there. 

Caroline. 
(As he starts to go, crosses to center.) 
Good luck! 

Tucker. 
(Turning at door.) 
Thanks, Carrie. I'll need it. (Exit, down light.) 

Bud. 

(Crossing to center right, dazed.) 
God A'mighty, what'll I do? What kin I do.? 

Caroline. 
(Crossing to him.) 
If you're staying here on my account, don't do it. 

Bud. 
I can't go and leave you here. 

Caroline. 
What's to hinder me from going with you.^* 

Bud. 

(Joyfully.) 
Lord love you! Come on! 



Act II SONNY 117 

(As they bolt for door down right, a volley of 
shots is heard off right. Helm and McCord run to 
windows. Bud snatches his hat from peg, doxvn 
right.) 

McCoRD. 
{At window, up center left.) 
He made it ! They're following him, though. 
There he goes ! Good boy ! Good boy ! 

Bud. 
(Grimly.) 
Did you hear that? 

Caroline. 
I heard. We are not going to be too late; are we? 

Bud. 

No'm ; we ain't ! 

(Exeunt Bud and Caroline, up center, turning 
left.) 

Curtain 



SONNY 



Third Act 
Scene: Office of the Grand Commercial Hotel in 
Calico, on the Mexican border. It has three doors: 
double doors up ceiiter, the main entrance from out- 
doors; a door up left, leading to the rear of the 
hotel; and a third door a little below the center of 
the right wall, leading to the back yard. The ex- 
terior backing for the doors up center shows a row 
of little wooden buildings typical of the main street 
in a very small western town. Two windows, with 
well worn shades, are in the back drop, being re- 
spectively at right and left of the double doors, the 
upper part of which are of smoked glass, with the 
name of the hotel printed on the glass backwards. 
The room is roughly finished and plainly furnished. 
Along the left wall in a ki^id of alcove extending from 
the left door doxxm to the footlights, is a long hotel 
desk, facijig right. The door up left is flush with the 
front of the desk. Hanging on the wall back of the 
desk is a Santa Fe railroad map, and fastened to the 
wall at the upstage end of the desk is a series of 
pigeonholes, in several of which are a few letters and 
some hotel keys. Under the window up left is a 
bench, and to the left of it on the wall is a wooden 
strip in which are fastened a few pegs for hanging 
wraps. In the upper right-hand corner, are two 
small, low tables, around each of which are four plain 
kitchen chairs. Two more kitchen chairs are placed 

119 



120 SONNY Act III 

around the right wall and bach drop up right. A 
little up stage from the right door is a small stove. 
At center right, in line with the right door, is a third 
table, at right and left of which respectively are two 
inore kitchen chairs. A wide faded chalk line is 
drawn from the center doors well down the center of 
the stage, to indicate the boundary line between the 
right side of the room, which is in Mexico, and the 
left side, which is in California. A soiled Mexican 
flag is draped around the picture of some Mexican 
dignitary on the wall above the window up center 
right, and an American flag, less soiled, is draped 
around a picture of Lincoln above the window up 
center left. On the desk is a hotel register, with pen, 
ink, and other writing paraphernalia, also an un- 
lighted kerosene lamp, wired for electricity. Over 
the letter rack hangs a clock so small that its face 
cannot be read by the audience. A large kerosene 
lamp, with a tin reflector, hangs on the wall just left 
of the center doors. The walls of the room are hung 
with pictures from the Police Gazette and appropri- 
ate advertisements. Several men*s hats are on the 
bench up left; another hat lies on the table at center 
right. Hidden in the stove is a bottle presumably 
containing brandy. It is just before dawn the fol- 
lowing morning, and the stage is dark except for a 
faint bluish light coming from off stage through the 
windows and the glass part of the doors up center. 

At rise of curtain, the stage appears to be unoccu- 
pied, but Tucker is crouching down under the hotel 
desk, well hidden from the audience. As the curtain 
goes up, a horse''s hoofs are heard approaching in 
slow, lagging fashion from off right. The unseen 
rider dismounts^ walks a few steps along the board 



Act III SONNY 121 

walk off center, and appears at the window up center 
right. It is El Malo. He surveys the room fur- 
tively ajid then knocks at the door up center. There 
is no answer. He repeats the knock rather timidly. 
The door up left opens and Francelia enters. She 
goes to the window up left and tries to see who is at 
the door. El Malo kiiocks again, and she goes up 
center and calls through the closed door. 

Francelia. 
Wat you want here? 

El Malo. 

{In a pleading voice, from off center right.) 
A room and a bath. 

Francelia. 
Oh! 

She unlocks the door, and El Malo enters and 
comes down center painfully, exhausted. Francelia 
lights lamp on desk, and points to the register. 

Francelia. 
Here's the book ! 

El Malo. 
{Crossly, going to center left.) 
I don't want to read. 

Francelia. 
You can write your name down; can't you? And 
where you leeve? 

El Malo. 
{Writing laboriously.) 
I live here. 



122 SONNY Act III 

Francelia. 
I have not see' you here before. 

El Malo. 

Yes ; you have, only you don't remember me. You 
was a little tyke. 

Francelia. 
I grow up beeg now. 

El Malo. 

Well, well, ain't time funny.? 

Francelia. 
What kind of a room you'd like, Meester — Mees- 
ter — ? (She consults register.) Chree-sty.? 

El Malo. 

One with a bed in it. 

Francelia. 
You any relation to little Mees Chreesty.? 

El Malo. 

I'm her paw! 

Francelia. 
{Going closer to him and staring at him.) 
I've always heard folks say you are dead. 

El Malo. 

You kin argue with them from now on. 

Francelia. 
I can get you one drink if you want it. The real 
stuff. Some they have before the war. (El Malo 
heaves heavily and crosses to left.) Don't you drink? 



Act III SONNY 123 

El Malo. 
{Turns at corner of desk.) 
Girl, you're touchin' on a mighty tender chord, 
because I love liquor with the noblest, purest senti- 
-ments a man ever had. I devoted a hull life to it, and 
two weeks ago it turned on me somethin' cruel — bit 
the hand it fed on. It tied me up with rheumatiz on- 
til I couldn't set me boss, and it left me high and dry 
without no courage ner backbone. I couldn't carry 
on my business without it, so I come home. 

Francelia. 
Wat is your beesiness.? 

El Malo. 
We'll take that up to-morrow. Where's my room.? 

Francelia. 
(Starts up left.) 
Si, senor. 

El Malo. 

(Stops her.) 
And don't let anybody disturb me. I don't feel 
like talkin'. (Starts up left.) 

(Tucker rises from behind the desk and takes hold 
of his arm.) 

Tucker. 
You don't, eh.? 

El Malo. 

(As they face each other across desk.) 
Put on them lights. 

Tucker. 
Get out, Francelia, and make it snappy. I got 



124 SONNY Act III 

some business with this here dod-gasted lyin' ghost 
that says he's alive when he ain't. 

(Exit Francelia, up left.) 

El Malo. 

(In a rather feeble, squeaky voice,) 
Hullo, Ping! 

Tucker. 
Are you with him? 

El Malo. 
Am I with who? 

Tucker. 
This guerilla El Malo. 

El Malo. 
(Smiling conceitedly.) 
I'm him. 

Tucker. 
(Dazed,) 
You're him? 

El Malo. 

Yeh! 

Tucker. 
What are you doin' here? 

El Malo. 
I've come home. 

Tucker. 
What do you mean, home? You ain't got no more 
home than a jack rabbit. 



Act III SONNY 125 

El Malo. 
Ain't I? I got my ranch, and to-morrow I'm 
goin' to settle down there in peace and quiet till the 
end of my days. I've come home fer good. (Tucker 
tries to speak hui makes only a gasping sound.) 
I'm quittin' a glowin' career to do it. I've built up 
as pretty a reputation fer high-class outlawin' as 
they is anywheres, but they ain't nothin' to fame 
when you're gittin' old and tired. I be'n a good 
outlaw, and now I'm goin' to join the church and be 
a good citizen. 

Tucker. 
(Roaring with astonishment.) 
What ! 

El Malo. 
(Backing to center y offended.) 
Don't yell at me that away, Ping. That ain't 
pretty. 

Tucker. 

(Following him.) 

Look here, Christy! I want you to tell a few 

things, and tell 'em quick. Where you be'n all these 

years.? How do you come to be El Malo, and if so, 

why? 

El Malo. 

(Crossing to chair at center right.) 
It's a long story. 

Tucker. 
Start it backward. I got to streak back to the 
ranch and keep your fellow artists from jumpin' it. 



126 SONNY Act III 

El Malo. 
{Laughing as he sits at center right.) 
The bojs? They wouldn't hurt you ner the ranch, 
either. 

Tucker. 
(At center.) 
There's a hundred of 'em out there settin' on their 
haunches Uke they was wolves. 

El Malo. 

They're just waitin' fer the party. 

Tucker. 
Party? 

El Malo. 
I promised to open a bar'l of whisky and give 'em 
a farewell celebration. They're "just seein' Nellie 
home." 

Tucker. 
But they fired on us ! 

P'rancelia entersy up left, quietly and goes behind 
desk. 

El Malo. 

Only from a festive point of view. They ain't got 
a single cartridge that's loaded. 

Tucker. 
{Sees Francelia.) 
Francelia, bring me a brandy. {Crosses to center 
left.) 

Francelia. 
You'll have to sit over there if you're going to 



Act 111 SONNY 127 

drink. That side of the room is in Mexico. (She 
points to table at right.) 

El Malo. 

Yeh. Leave us set a spell and talk. Come on over, 
Ping. (Tucker crosses and 'sits right of table.) 

Francelia. 
(Crosses to center.) 
One brandy. What else.? 

El Malo. 

Lemon soda. 

Tucker. 
(Freshly astonished.) 
What! 

El Malo. 

I don't drink no more. 

Tucker. 
Bring me two brandies. I sure do need some shock 
absorbers. (Francelia goes out, up left.) So you 
don't drink no more.? 

El Malo. 

I can't. It'ud kill me if I did. 

Tucker. 
Fer as I know, you already be'n dead once. The 
last time I looked down on you — that was seventeen 
years ago — you was full of holes and terrible dis- 
couraged. 

El Malo. 
I could still crawl. Nobody missed me, with the 
kid havin' a fit. I must of made the arroyo, and 



128 SONNY Act III 

from then on I don't remember much till a month 
later when I woke up in a camp of bad hombres 
acrost the border. 

Tucker. 
I reckon you know that Bud went up fer twenty 
years fer killin' you. We found a body in the arroyo 
later on and thought it was you. 

El Malo. 

Bud still servin' time? 

Francelia e7iters, up left, mith soda and two empty 
whishy glasses, crossing to right. 

Tucker. 
In a way; he's on parole for twenty years never 
to touch a gun. 

(Francelia puts soda and glasses on table, opens 
stove, takes out bottle of brandy which she puts be- 
fore Tucker, who pours two brandies. El Malo 
leans toward Tucker with his glass. Tucker draws 
back,) 

El Malo. 
( Complainingly. ) 
What's the matter.? What did I ever do to you, 
Ping.? 

Tucker. 
You killed a woman that I loved like a sister. 

(Francelia, hearing this, leaves abruptly, up left,) 

El Malo. 
(Surprised.) 
Shucks, did she die.? (He drinks thoughtfully. 



Act III SONNY 129 

alone.) Anyhow, what's a woman or two between 
good pals? I never had much use for them. Always 
naggin' a man half crazy. Got to wipe your boots 
and everything. I wouldn't of gone fer her, only 
s}ie deceived me. (Tucker looks at him ster7ily.) 
She promised me a boy ! What did I want with an- 
other female.?^ One was more'n I cud bear. Here 
I was callin' it Jack and Sonny before it ever 
walked into the house, and when it opened it's mouth 
and let out a soprano yell, Lord, I was just sick! 
That was when I took to drinkin' (Tucker glares at 
him again) — harder. And the harder I drunk, the 
more brave deeds I done. That's how I come to get 
this here name of El Malo. The boys was crazy 
over me. They looked up to me so that I didn't dare 
to get sober. Then of a sudden, liquor turned on me — 
turned on me ungrateful. So I says to myself, "Why 
not quit and go home.? It's peaceful and quiet there, 
and you're gittin' old. Why not.?" says I, and I 
done it. 

(Tucker rises, looks searchingly at El Malo and 
crosses to center, gives him another look and 
thoughtfully crosses up to door, center, and then 
hack to chair, where he sits exactly as before. El 
Malo watches him intently, turning his chair and 
never letting Tucker get behind him.) 

Tucker. 
Darned if I know what to do with you, Christy. 

El Malo. 
I always was a favorite here. Folks'll be glad to 
see me again. 



130 SONNY Act III 

Tucker. 
(Quietly and ominously.) 
Look here, Christy. Folks ain't goin' to see you 
again. 

El Malo. 

{Pleasantly hut craftily,) 
Ain't they? What'll' stop 'em? 

Tucker. 
You can't come back. 

El Malo. 
I am back. 

Tucker. 
You're back for the night, but before mornin' 
you're goin' to head south and stay south. 

El Malo. 
Who says so? 

Tucker. 
{Sternly.) 
The law ! 

El Malo. 
The law can't touch me, Ping. What I done 
acrost the border don't count here. I'm known as 
John Christy here. How are you or the law either 
goin' to prove that I was this El Malo party? 

Tucker. 
What about that chokin' affair? 

El Malo. 
I was out of my mind then and ever since. I 
wouldn't of stayed away so long if I wasn't; would I? 



Act III SONNY 131 

Tucker. 
Why, you dad-blasted oV hypocrite! You'd be 
lynched to-morrow if I was to tell what I know 
about you. 

El Malo. 
But you won't — fer the kid's sake. (Tucker 
milts. El Malo sips his soda.) They's a lot of 
things you think you could do, but you can't do any 
of them. You see you ain't smart like me at figgerin' 
things out. When it comes right down to cases, you 
ain't smart at all. You've knowed me fer twenty 
years and you don't even know my name. 

Tucker. 
Ain't Christy your real brand.? 

El Malo. 
John Christy is my first two names. I got a third 
one up my sleeve. 



You do beat hell. 



Don't I? 



Tucker. 
(Solemnly.) 

El Malo. 
(Modestly.) 



Tucker. 
(Sighing, rises and crosses to center.) 
Well, I might as well go on home, I reckon (turns 
at center) — since you mentioned Sonny's name. I — 
I was hopin' against hope that I could persuade you 
away from the ranch fer her sake. I don't know how 
you and her is goin' to git along together. 



132 SONNY Act III 

El Malo. 

( Indulgently. ) 
I may grow to like her in time. 

Tucker. 
When I left the house, she was on her way down 
here. 

El Malo. 

{Irritahly.) 
Ain't that like a female? I'm too tired to bounce 
her up and down on my knee. I won't do it. 

Tucker. 

{Sternly.) 

When your poor little girl gits here — {He 

breaks off to listen. A horse is heard approaching 

at a gallop.) Bennett's got here from Viega City! 

El Malo. 
{Sharply^ rising.) 
Who's Bennett.? 

Tucker. 
The marshal! 

El Malo. 

{Rattled.) 
I'm all right. He can't touch me. 

Tucker. 
{Grinning maliciously.) 
Why not? Who's to keep him? I ain't. You 
wouldn't listen to me. 

El Malo. 
My name's on the register there. 



Act III SONNY 133 

Tucker. 

{Turns quickly, tears leaf from register , and puts 

it in his pocket.) 

Tell that to Bennett. He ain't seen you before. 

El Malo. 
(Frightened, stopping him as he crosses to door, 
down right.) 
Ping! You ain't goin' to fail your ol' pal, Jack 
Christy.? 

Tucker. 
(Pushing him aside and crossing to door down 
right.) 
He's dead. (Turns at door.) And that wasn't his 
real name, anyway. (Exit, down right.) 

The horse is heard to stop off left. The rider dis- 
mounts a7id approaches. El Malo hesitates be- 
tween escape and standing his ground. He makes 
sure his gun is iji place, shakes himself stubbornly 
and sits again, picking up newspaper and pretending 
to be engrossed in it. Sonny passes the window up 
center left quickly, and enters at center like a bolt 
of thunder. Once in the room, she becomes cautious, 
however, and crosses down left, drawing her gun and 
watching the figure at the table like a hawk. There 
is a strained silence. El Malo watching her from the 
corner of his eye. 

El Malo. 
(Looking up and smiling.) 
Real nice weather, ain't it.? 



IM SONNY Act III 

Sonny. 
(Ominously, covering him.) 
I am Jack Christy. I reckon you've heard that 
name before. It was my father's name, and he was 
the bravest man in California. 

El Malo. 
(Rising.) 
As names go, it has a terrible pleasin' sound. I 
recollect years ago — 

Sonny. 
You recollect chokin' a woman by that name.? 

El Malo. 
We ain't goin' to speak of that now. I — er — I 
reckon I'll be goin'. (Looks around for his hat.) 

Sonny. 
I reckon you will. You got a horse to ride.? 

El Malo. 
I got my white boss. You comin', too.? 

Sonny. 
What do you think I'm here for but to git you? 
And don't make me no trouble. We got a long ride 
ahead of us. 

El Malo. 

(Bewildered.) 
It ain't but two miles to the ranch. 

Sonny. 
It's twenty to Viega City. 



Act III SONNY 135 

El Malo. 
(Alarmed.) 
Who says we're goin' there? 

Sonny. 
I said so. I don't trust this jail here. 

El Malo. 
Jail! 

Sonny. 
(Grimly.) 
Only for the time bein'. Then San Quentin and a 
rope f er you, you murderer ! 

El Malo. 

(Terrified.) 

You can't do that! It's genuine bloodthirsty. 

Sonny. 
Yeh.? You ought to be used to that. 

El Malo. 
But fer you to do it! I tell you it ain't human. 
It's ag'in' all the laws of nature. 

Sonny. 
What does a bad man care about laws? You 
don't. You've smashed enough of them not to care. 
You don't stop to think about a little thing like a 
law. 

El Malo. 
But fer a child to turn ag'in' her own kind! 

Sonny. 
That's a-plenty from you. 



136 SONNY Act III 

El Malo. 
I admit I ain't be'n altogether a good one. 

Sonny. 
Good what? Outlaw? 

El Malo. 
A good father. 

Sonny. 

{Jeeringly.) 

You ! Are you goin' to tell me that you got a 

family some place — a wife and a houseful of kids — 

so that I'll let you off easy? Not on your life. 

{Laughs loudly.) That's pretty good — that is! 

El Malo. 
{Sharply.) 
You got a mighty convenient memory. 

Sonny. 
{Also sharply.) 
You bet I have ! I won't ferget you in a hurry. 

El Malo. 

{Losing his temper.) 
Reckon you already have. Look a little closer. 

Sonny. 
I'm as close as I want to be to a thing like you. 

El Malo. 
{Shouting.) 
Who the hell do you think I am? 

Sonny. 
Who the hell gives a damn who you are? 



1 



Act III SONNY 137 

El Malo. 
(Turning away to sit right of table.) 
Looks like we ain't goin' to git along very well. 
(His hand comes in contact with glass of brandy. 
Unconsciously he drinks it. He is startled at first, 
then reassured.) Kinda thought we would some- 
how. Seems like you orter show me more respect 
than you do. 

Sonny. 
(At center right,) 
Respect! 

El Malo. 

(Taking another drink.) 
I reckon the game's about up if you're goin' to 
turn on me. 

Sonny. 
(Fiercely, across the table.) 
I ain't only goin' to turn on you, but I'm goin' to 
git you. Nobody else'll do it for me so I'm goin' to 
do it. You killed my little mother, and made me a 
wliinin', whimperin' wreck all the years of my life 
until to-night, when somethin' snapped and I quit 
bein' afraid. I won't ever be afraid again. I won't 
ever be a woman again, either, because you've got to 
have a heart to be a woman, and I ain't got none. 
I'm nothin' but a fixed idea — that's all I am. And 
that fixed idea is to settle you and pay oif her score 
and mine — and Bud's. 

El Malo. 

(Beginning to feel the drinks.) 
It'll be all right when I see Bud. I kin straighten 
it out with him. (Takes another drink.) 



138 SONNY Act III 

Sonny. 
You keep away from Bud! I've hurt him enough 
without anything extra from you or anybody else. 

El Malo. 
( Whining. ) 
I'm the one to be sore — not him. He wasn't in 
long. (Sonny looks at him, startled.) Ping says 
he got out right away. If he'd of served hi-s whole 
twenty years, he'd of had a reason to be sore at me, 
but he ain't got a reason now. (Sonny turns her 
face away, so that he cannot observe her agitation. 
El Malo drinks again and continues.) 1 don't see 
how they could of let him off so easy after kiilin' a 
man. It wasn't his fault that I didn't turn up my 
toes. I had enough holes in me to be a sieve. You 
remember that. 

Sonny. 
(Chokingly.) 
No! 

El Malo. 
Well, I don't remember much myself after Bud 
come in the door with that gun in his hand. (Sonny 
returns her gun to its holster and sits suddenly and 
limply in chair at left of table at center right.) He 
won't carry another one again, soon though. They 
paroled him account of his being a minor, but they'd 
slap him back in jail so quick it'd make his head 
swim if they ever ketched him with a gun on his hip. 
So I ain't afraid of him. (Sonny buries her head in 
her arms on the table and sobs convulsively, all her 
bravado gone.) Shucks! Just like her ma. You 
mustn't, Son. That ain't pretty. (A$ she continues 



Act III SONNY 139 

to sohy he rises and reaches out an awkward hand as 
if to pat her shoidder, thinks better of it, and 
scratches his head in embarrassment.) What do you 
want to go cuttin' up like this fer? Here we was 
gittin' right down to brass tacks, when you start 
pawin' the ground and bellerin' at the top of your 
lungs. One minute you take after me and the next 
minute after your ma. You'd orter settle on one 
of us and behave accordin'. 

Sonny. 
(Lifts her head slowly.) 
Wh— what.? 

El Malo. 
If you're goin' to be your ma's gal, so so. Or if 
you'd ruther be like me, why act that-a-way. Sonny. 

Sonny. 
(Rising.) 
Who — who are you? 

El Malo. 
I'm your pa. 

Sonny. 
My father was the bravest man in California. 

El Malo. 

Sure! Who told you.? 

Sonny. 
Bud. He's always told me that since I was a baby. 

El Malo. 
That was right nice of Bud. 



I 



140 SONNY Act III 

Sonny. 

What did you mean by saying that to me? (She 
seizes him by both arms and looks searchingly into 
his face just as — ) 

Bud bursts into the room, up center, coming from 
right, followed by Caroline. 

Bud. 

(Coming down center.) 
Git away from her ! If you've laid a finger on that 
child, I'll break you in two. (Suddenly recognizes 
El Malo.) 

Tucker enters, down right, and crosses down center 
left. Caroline crosses to left. 

Bud. 
(To El Malo.) 
You! You! 

Tucker. 
{At center left, warningly.) 
Bud! 

Bud. 

Him ! Come to life ag'in ! 

Tucker. 
•It's all right. I be'n on the job. Don't you come 
along and spoil it. What did you bring Carrie fer.^* 

Caroline. 
He couldn't have kept me away. 

Bud. 

Son! Come home! 



1 



Act III SONNY 141 

Sonny. 
{Her eyes glued on El Malo.) 
Wait! 

Bud. 

It's safe. Them greasers won't hurt a fly, and as 
fer him, he ain't goin' to bother you no more. 

Sonny. 
He says he's my father. 

Bud. 

{At center right.) 
What? 

Tucker. 
{At center,) 
Why, the dinged ol' liar! 

Sonny. 
Is he my father, Bud? 

Tucker. 
{Crossing to El Malo.) 
No, you ain't. 

El Malo. 

{Raging.) 
I'm John Christy! That's who I am. 

(Caroline looks interested as she begins to recog- 
nize something familiar in his voice.) 

Bud. 

John Christy's dead. 

El Malo. 
He ain't dead. I'm him. Ping, tell 'em who I am. 



142 SONNY Act III 

Tucker. 
You're El Malo, a bad hombre from acrost the 
border. 



What else.? 
And you're loco. 



El Malo. 

{Snarlingly,) 

Tucker. 



El Malo. 

{Frenzied.) 
I ain't loco ! I'm as sane as you are. What's 
my name? Tell 'em my name. 

Caroline. 
{At center left, with a scream of recognition.) 
It's Richards! It's Winkie Richards! {She 
makes a dive for him. Tucker stops her.) 

El Malo. 
{Yelling and whipping out his gun.) 
You keep away from me, Carrie. {He hacks to 
the door, down right, and opens it, with his hack to 
it, coming forward the width of the door when it is 
open. This leaves him directly across the table from 
Bud, who keeps between the gun and the others.) I 
want you all to know before I go that I came north 
to reform and settle down calm and tranquil, but you 
won't let me. I needed rest, an' I git a heap o' noise 
instead. I wanted a home, and I set plumb into a 
hornet's nest. Bein' good don't git you nowheres, 
so from now on I'm goin' to be just as bad as I al- 
ways was, and badder. I'm goin' back to Mexico 
where I can be an outlaw in peace and quiet and 



Act III SONNY 143 

comfort, and I tell you, one and all, I hope I never 
see any of you again this side of hell. 

{He shoots directly at Bud, who realizes it is 
coming^ lifts a chair at center right, and throws it 
at him simultaneously. The table knocks the gun 
from El Malo's hand, and it falls on the floor under 
the table. He dashes through the door up center and 
is gone, turning right. Tucker puts Caroline be- 
hind him and reaches for his gu/n.) 

Sonny. 
Bud! Are you hurt? 

Bud. 

No! 

Tucker. 
What happened? 

Bud. 
(Sets the table in place and picks up El Malo's 
gun, which he puts in his pocket.) 
Nothin'. 

Sonny. 
He wasn't really my father; was he, Bud? 

Bud. 

(Quickly, with a look at Tucker, taking her in his 
arms.) 
No, honey! 

Tucker. 
(To Caroline.) 
So that was Winkie ! 



144 SONNY Act III 

Caroline. 
(Breathing hard.) 
The infamous rascal! I knew I should find him 
some day. I might have guessed he would turn out 
to be this ! 

Tucker. 
I'm glad for Sonny's sake that you come along 
with Bud. She mebbe would of believed the ol' scamp 
when he sprung her pa's name on her. (Crosses 
to Sonny, who is at center right in Bud's arms.) 
You ain't goin' to give him another thought; are 
you, Son? He's gone and gone fer good. 

Sonny. 
I know he is. 

Tucker. 
And you won't think no more about him.? 

Sonny. 
(Looking at Bud.) 
No, I won't. Not now. 

(Bud puts her in chair at center right and goes 
to door up center, where he stands looking out. 
Sonny watches him, her chin quivering.) 

Tucker. 
(To Caroline.) 
Shall we go on back, ma'am? 

Caroline. 
(Groaning.) 
I cannot ride another mile on a horse. I'm 
crippled for life. 



Act III SONNY 145 

Tucker. 
I'll wake up Cal Smith, if he ain't dead already of 
heart disease, and git us a rig to drive home in. 

Caroline. 
(Hesitating.) 
While I'm in town, I would rather like — 

Tucker. 
What, Carrie.? 

Caroline. 
To see the ranch. 

Tucker. 

{Joyfully.) 

Right around the corner. We'll take a little spin 

in the hand car and stop off at the section house fer 

breakfast. What say? You ain't a-goin' to back 

out; are you.? 

Caroline. 
{Smiling broadly.) 
No'm; I ain't. {They go out, up center , turning 
right.) 

Bud. 
{At right.) 
You're all tuckered out; ain't you. Son.? {She 
nods wearily.) You too tired even to ride home.? 

Sonny. 
{Seated at center right.) 
Yeh ! I can't move. I'm just dead. 

Bud. 

{Sitting beside her.) 
Pore kid! You've had a powerful hard night to 



146 SONNY Act III 

put up with, but you come out of it like a major. 
Like a real little he-feller ! I was plumb certain that 
if jou ever got a chance to prove how brave you was 
you'd do it, and you did. I would admire to know 
how many other girls would bust up to a ornery lyin' 
ol' pirate like this here recent gent, and tell him 
where to git off right to his face. They wouldn't 
of done it. No, sir ! They'd have been skeered pink ! 
But you wasn't. 

Sonny. 
(Reviving.) 
I wasn't afraid of him. 

Bud. 

'Course you wasn't. 

Sonny. 
The minute I realized that he was real, I wasn't a 
bit afraid. 

Bud. 

Then what in tarnation thunder you be'n callin' 
yourself a coward for? (She wails suddenly and 
hides her face on his shoulder, sobbing.) Sonny! 
What's the matter.? 







Sonny. 


I'm sorry. 






.■ 




Bud. 


What fer.P 




Sonny. 


I called you 


I one. 


Bud. 


Oh, that ! 


That 


wasn't nothin'. 



Act III SONNY 147 

Sonny. 
(Sitting up and wiping her eyes,) 
I didn't know then about — about — 

Bud. 
About me an' El Malo bavin' that little spat years 
ago.? 

Sonny, 
Why didn't you tell me.? 

Bud. 

I'm kinda modest. I don't talk much about the 
game I bring down. 

Sonny. 

{Remorsefully.) 
And I thought all the time that you were just 
afraid of him, instead of being the bravest man on 
earth — next to my father. (She snuggles her head 
on his shoulder.) 

Bud. 
{Protesting.) 
No'm. I ain't that brave. 

Sonny. 
You are so. I wish I had a picture of him. I'll 
bet you even look like him. 

Bud. 

{Looking toward door down left.) 
No — o ! Not so much. We wore our hair some 
different. 

Sonny. 
Was he taller than you? 



148 SONNY Act III 

Bud. 
Almost a foot. And spread out thick in every 
direction you could name. 

Sonny. 
I don't remember him, but I love him. 

Bud. 

That ain't nothin', Son, to what he'd think of you. 
(She yawns noisily.) Hey! Are you goin' to* sleep 
on me.? 

Sonny. 
{Sitting up and stretching.) 
Guess I am. I'm not so tired now, I feel sort of 
rested and happy. 

Bud. 

Then I reckon we better be hittin' the ol' trail fer 
home. How about it.? 

{She nods, with another yawn, and gets to her 
feet. Bud rises, picks up her hat, which has fallen 
to the floor, puts it on her head, wipes the tears from 
her cheek with the handkerchief around her neck, and 
brushes her off paternally.) 

Sonny. 
{As he pauses, awkwardly quiet.) 
Ready .? 

Bud. 

Yeh — no, not quite. I just want to say first that 
I — you — ^we — we're goin' back as if nothin' had hap- 
pened, but they has somethin' happened besides all 
this ruckus. \^ou ain't forgot what you said to me 
about gittin' married, Son.? 



Act III SONNY 149 

Sonny. 
(Turning away shyly.) 
No'm; I ain't. 

Bud. 
{Earnestly.) 
I'm glad you ain't, because I ain't, either, and I 
ain't ever going to fergit it. I'm yours fer keeps, 
just like I always been. You know that; don't you.? 
{She nods timidly.) Things is apt to go along like 
they done before, and it's right that they should. 
I'm patient, and I'll wait. I'll wait till you say the 
word, honey, if it's fifty years from now. That's all. 

{He takes her hand, and they go up to the center 
door slowly and thoughtfully. They stand in the 
doorway looking out. It is almost morning and the 
stage lights gradually begin to go up to simulate 
daylight.) 

Sonny. 
{Drawing a deep breath.) 
Um ! Smell that air ! 

Bud. 

{Doing likewise.) 
Great, ain't it.? 

Sonny. 
{Peering off left.) 
They've built up the north side quite a lot. What's 
that red roof out about a mile.? 

Bud. 
That's Jim Hathaway's ! He's a minister now. 



150 SONNY Act III 

Sonny. 
(Much interested.) 
A minister? Jim is? 

Bud. 

Jim always was a terrible nice boy. That's the 
new dee-po. (He points right. Sonny keeps her eyes 
left.) Over this way. Yonder. 

Sonny. 
{Absently.) 
Hum? {She throws a fleeting glance to rights is 
not interested, and looks left again.) 

Bud. 

{Pulling his hat firmly down over his head.) 
Well, Sonny, it's broad daylight. We'll be a-set- 
tin' out? 

Sonny. 
{Adjusting her own hat.) 
Yeh! He ought to be up by now. 

(Bud realizes the significance of her speech, takes her 
arm, and they exeunt, up center, turning left.) 

Curtain 



The Girl From Out 
Yonder 

BY 

Marion Short and Pauline Phelps 

COMEDY-DRAMA in 4 acts ; 6 men, 4 women. Time, 
2% hours. Scenes: 1 interior, 2 exteriors. 
CHARACTERS 
(As they appear in the play) 

Mrs. Elmer A New York society matron 

Clarice Stapleton A debutante 

Edward Elmer Mrs. Elmer's nephew 

J. Hubert Hughes Elmer's friend 

Flotsam i The girl from out yonder 

Joey Clarke A young fisherman 

Captain Amos Barton Flotsam's father 

Ben Cooke The Captain's crony 

Cousin Simonson The Captain's housekeeper 

Stevens A waiter at Terry's Harbor Inn 

(Note. — The role of the sheriff, which is not a speaking 
part, may be assumed by a stage hand, if no suitable super 
is available.) 

Flotsam, the charming young daughter of the lighthouse 
keeper, finds herself the object of attention of a party of 
fashionable New York visitors at the harbor clubhouse. 
She is particularly singled out by Elmer, the kind young 
man of the party, with whom she promptly falls in love. 
Their love affair prospers in spite of the malicious 
maneuverlngs of the society girl, who is angling for 
Elmer herself, and the jealous plottings of the fisher lad 
who is violently in love with Flotsam. At last the fisher 
lad in an upflaring of passion, wrecks the course of true 
love by revealing the fact that Flotsam's father, the old 
fishing captain, was the murderer of Elmer's father 
twenty years previously. The poor old captain, heart- 
broken with the burden of secret guilt long carried, gives 
himself up to justice and serves his term, supported by 
the tender affection and devotion of his daughter, who 
seems to be permanently alienated from her lover. But 
in, the end, love and loyalty win the day, and a surprising 
revelation brings the lovers together again. A gripping 
play, overflowing with heart interest and pathos, tem- 
pered with laughter, which has kept many audiences 
laughing and crying during its long and prosperous run 
in professional stock. Cast includes two excellent all- 
comedy characters : an obdurate widow, hard to win ; and 
her persistent fisherman swain. 

Professional stage rights reserved and a produc- 
tion fee of fifteen dollars required for every 
amateur performance. Pricej, Per Copy, 50c 

T. S. Denison dC Company, Publishers 

623 South Wabash Avenue CHICAGO 



Back Seat Drivers 

BY 

Laurence (Larry) E. Johnson 
COMTEDY in 3 acts ; 5 men, 4 women. Time, 
hours. Scene: 1 interior. 



2V2 



CHARACTERS 

(As they appear in the play) 

John Wilson A young business man 

Connie Wilson His wife 

Peter Simms A neighbor, also a business man 

Goofle Handy man about the neighborhood 

Delia Moffet Connie's friend and neighbor 

Cuthbert Moffet. . .Delia's husband, a young business man 

Austin Spence A smooth customer 

Amy Webb-Stephens Spence's side partner 

Clara Simms Peter's wife 

With a Broadway production and a successful run in 
stock to its credit, this gay drama of young married life 
and back seat financiering makes a strong bid for popu- 
larity. Two young wives, Connie and Delia, whose beset- 
ting sin is to twitch hubby's arm at crucial moments when 
he drives the family bus and the family apple cart, con- 
ceive a bright idea of curing their husbands of investing 
family funds without wifey's approval. Conspiring with 
a chance salesman of electric toasters, they form a fake 
corporation to promote the manufacture and sale of an 
electrical egg-boiling device and persuade their husbands 
to invest money in it. And then the fun begins. Enter a 
lovely young widow, alleged owner of the egg boiler, who 
keeps the wives on pins and needles by flirting out- 
rageously with their husbands. But the husbands are not 
as dumb as they look, and by some skillful gum-shoeing, 
catch the lovely widow in the act of sneaking out of town 
with a nice little slice of the corporation funds, while 
tipping off the police to a similar move on the part of her 
fellow crook, the salesman. Other characters who add to 
the general hilarity are the cocksure, smart-Aleck busi- 
ness man who insists on buying stock in the fake cor- 
poration, also his jealous, henpecking wife. An ideal play 
for any dramatic club looking for smart lines, swift 
action, sure-fire rSles, and a hurricane of laughs. 

Professional stage rights reserved and a produc- 
tion fee of fifteen dollars required for every 
amateur performance. Price, Per Copy, 50c 



T. S. Denison 8C Company, Publishers 

623 South Wabash Avenue CHICAGO 



LAUGH MAKERS 

2fer Step Husband 

Comedf in 8 acts, by Laret E. Johk- 
80n; 4 m., 5 w. Time, 2% hrs. 8c«nfi: 
1 faiterior. Mary's gorgeous flbs about her 
husband's fictitious wealth and her efforts 
to impress a rich aunt who is visiting 
them, start a train of misadventures tiiat 
alm(»t lands hubby in jail. Production 
fee, fifteen dollars. * Price, 50 Cents 




^ HER 

STEPHU$6iy«D 



Vhe Bride Bree^ In 

Comedy-drama in 8 acts, by Lilliak 
Mortimer; 6 m., 5 w. Time, 2% hrs. 
Scene: 1 interior. To save his father 
from ruin, AI consents to a loveless mar- 
riage, but weakens when liis bride turns 
out to be a gawky Sis Hopkins. Then 
the fun begins, and the three masquerad- 
ing girls add to the hilarity. Production 
fee, ten dollars. Price, SO Cents 







Welcome io the Old TowK 

Comedy in 8 acts, by Edwiw Scribxkb ; 
5 m., 3 w. Time, 2*/^ hrs. Scene: 1 in- 
terior. Con Connover, who had previ- 
ously left town under a cloud, returns to 
dress down the village Shylock, save the 
girl he loves, clear his own name, and 
put the old town on its feet. Production 
fee, ten dollars. Price, 50 Cents 



T— 929 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



Royalty 




016 103 314 5 




—have been carefully selected for their 
high degree of dramatic strength and 
their practicable acting qualities. The 
majority of them have been specially 
written for amateurs by experienced 
playwrights with professional successes 
to their credit. The plays have been 
edited with unusual care, particularly 
as to stage directions, which are so 
complete, clearly expressed, and easily 
understood that they almost direct 
themselves. Above all, the Denison roy- 
alty plays have the swift movement, the 
humor, and the emotional quaHties that 
appeal strongly to young players and 
grip the attention of audiences 
throughout an evening's entertainment. 




T.S. Denison Ir Company Pullishm 
623 S. Wabash Ave. Cmicaoo 



